


Jesse's Return

by ArtsyJesseBlue



Category: Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs
Genre: F/M, Illustrated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-08
Updated: 2016-09-08
Packaged: 2018-08-13 20:22:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 80,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7984933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtsyJesseBlue/pseuds/ArtsyJesseBlue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the humans win the war over the outriders, Jesse Blue wakes up as a prisoner of Nemisis, in a life-threatening situation. The troubles are about to start again. Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs will now face new adventures and dangerous missions. Fireball's and April's lives are about to change, while Jesse's real reasons for treason are going to be revealed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Episode 53 - The Post War Phantom Zone

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note  
> Hello everyone! I decided to start this story many years after watching the cartoon series as a kid, then watching it again as an adult, and creating a coherent idea in my mind about it. Let me tell you..., I loved this cartoon series as a kid. Back in the days, they only aired the first 15 episodes out of 52 in my country..., so my story stopped when Jesse Blue and the outriders captured Eagle. And that was it... This is how much I knew out of the entire series... It didn't make sense to me, I was SURE that there should be more adventures. There had to be more!  
> Well, I had to wait for many more years to get to see the rest of the series. So, by the time I watched the entire show, I was an adult. Correction: a kid in an adult body. :)) Watching the rest of the episodes, the series made more sense to me now. Not completely though... Something was still twisted, I felt that it still was not quite the end. Actually, there is a mention at the end of the series about the possibility of an outriders' comeback.  
> Later, I read about the making of the American version of the cartoon, I read about the censorship of the Japanese episodes, and about WEP adding episodes to the series. And not just any episodes, but some that changed the course of some characters' lives around! They remodeled Jesse's story, from a boring simple enemy, to a fuller more interesting character. A badass, with a lot of personality. So now it all made some sense: that's why the plot felt sometimes awkward! The Japanese version had Fireball as the main character, so normally, April gets to be with him. In the American version, Saber Rider is the leader and April's story is a little bit more complex: she likes Saber Rider first (in the American episodes), then Fireball (because that's what the original Japanese show has), while Jesse falls for her (also added)... Whew!, complicated.  
> Nevertheless, my intention is to continue this story as is, and stay true to this plot. I will not add cross-references to any other cartoons or TV shows. I will keep the initial story untouched. I will try to remain in the style and personalities of the original characters. But I will try to make more sense of some details of the story and bring them to a different, unexpected stage. And if I will have time, (job is killing me!), I will add some neat images to the story, my own creation (I did graduate an art school, too, so why not bring that into play?). I will be on DeviantArt under the same username: ArtsyJesseBlue  
> For those of you who don't know the story, you can read about the plot and characters lives on wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saber_Rider_and_the_Star_Sheriffs  
> Oh, and I forgot to mention: obviously, I do not own SRATSS, WEP does; so this is just a follow-up story, a fanfiction of my own, meant to entertain readers. I am not selling any of the SRATSS illustrated art either. Oh, and the same way I'll stay true to the story, I will stay true to the manga drawing style and characters' looks. I like them the way they are and their charm has to stay untouched.  
>   
> Each chapter will be numbered according to the episodes following the last episode in the original SRATSS story. So my first chapter is episode 53. I will publish each episode when I will have it ready and hopefully (hopefully!) I will also have time for many manga illustrations. Thank you for reading my story!  
>   
> CURRENTLY, NOT ALL CHAPTERS HAVE ILLUSTRATIONS. I am still working on them.

Minutes after the battle between humans and outriders was over, everyone was excited and cheering the victory. Although still in pain after his previous fight with Jesse, Colt was jumping around in the Ramrod cockpit, while April and Fireball were making fun of his goofy performance. Saber Rider was cool headed as usual, but nevertheless very very happy... On the Cavalry Command side, the entire team was applauding. Commander Eagle was giving his speech, emphasizing the strength and wisdom of the Star Sheriff team, but realistic about a possible comeback of the outriders and Jesse.

An entirely different story was developing on the other side...

The huge explosion had blown up the N'th Degree... In a matter of minutes, the entire planet had vaporized back into the other dimension. The whole military system built around the planet was destroyed. The protection shield vanished. Nevertheless, people on the planet were still there. But, this time, because the shell covering the planet was gone, so were all the simulations of beautiful places and nice fountains and buildings. All that was left were some Moai stone heads and the underground buildings and shelters, where all the people were hiding during the terrible battle. Where the N'th Degree used to stand..., there was a crater.

But wait... Some wires in the crater coming out of the ground were leading somewhere inside the guts of the planet... And that is where Nemisis had a plan B for his escape. Yes. Unfortunately he had a plan B. He had built a second computer underneath the N'th Degree, where he could transfer all the data if anything happened to his master frame. And there he had several loyal assistants working for him. All scientists. Ready to intervene and rebuild the structure. And, of course, there were all of his soldiers that he carefully trained for so many years. They were all there, vaporized back into their dimension, because of the blast. Many of the vapor chambers were still there.

But what about Jesse? Where was he?

As we all know, he is human. He cannot vaporize.

Yet, here he was...

 

* * *

Bruised and in pain, Jesse was lying with his hands and feet tied to a bed. Slowly, he was starting to wake up from agony. Several days passed since the crazy battle. He had been unconscious during all this time. He opened his eyes slowly... He could hear voices around him. Someone signaled:

"Doctor Caspar, he is waking up!"

A lot of bustling sounds and people moving in his proximity.

"Hmm, doctor Caspar... He is an outrider. So now I know where I am..." Jesse said to himself. He tried to move, but the cuffs stopped him. "Of course, now I'm their enemy too..."

"Take it easy, hot shot. You are a damn lucky bastard! You should thank Nemisis for giving you this second chance to live".

Doctor Caspar was looking straight at Jesse. Their eyes intersected. Although he was tied, Jesse's eyes were as frightful as ever. Doctor Caspar jerked. He could not look for long into Jesse's eyes. They were all still afraid of him.

Jesse wanted to groan. His pain was so piercing. He kept it to himself though.

"Thank Nemisis? Ha, how did he save me, may I ask? He is just a bunch of nuts and bolts after all, and they were all blown up last time I checked."

"Ohh, you are so naive, Jesse. Nemisis is much more than nuts and bolts. He is invincible. Do you think he relied only on the N'th degree? You see, he is such a mastermind. He had everything planned, even in case of losing the battle. He DOES have extra source of energy in our dimension, and he does have another frame where he transferred his data. You never knew all these details, because he never trusted you fully! He only trusts us, his scientists team. And you are going to see why, very soon, son of humans, Jesse Blue. Mhe-hahahaha!..."

"Spare the chit-chat, Caspar! How did I end up here? How did Nemisis transfer me into your dimension? I should be dead, I'm a human, I can't vaporize!"

"Haaahaaa, I will let this succulent part be a private discussion between you and Nemisis. See you soon double-traitor!"

Then Caspar turned to his team and said: "Make sure he gets enough fluids and nutrients. He needs to recover fast. He has to be 100% functional and ready. All lesions have to be treated urgently."

Then he left the room.

Other people in white coats started working around Jesse. He watched them helplessly while they were sticking needles in him, giving him all sorts of IV infusions, using all sorts of devices to scan and radiate his body. What a fate for such a proud former star sheriff cadet.

"What does it mean I have to be functional and ready?"... This question terrified Jesse...

 

* * *

A few weeks passed since the final battle.

On planet Yuma, the celebrations had been going on during all this time. Every day there was a different festivity. Of course, as you all know, Yuma was also the host planet for an All-Galaxy Grand Prix. This year, they decided to create another Grand Prix, especially for this occasion. It was called the Victory Grand Prix. And Fireball was part of the race, as you can all imagine. But an honorary spectator was also the famous former racer Mario Firenza. He became good friend of Fireball at their last Grand Prix. Mario retired from car races, but his daughter was now an aspiring competitor. She was driving a pink turbo racer.

Well, needless to say, she still had her eyes on Fireball. Before the race, she had a chance to see Fireball and April. They were preparing for the race, and April was hugging him. Hmm, no hard feelings between Claudia and April...? We only wonder.

The race is a must see! Lots of people, cheering and lots of cars being eliminated on the sides. But Claudia and Fireball are competing for the first place!

"She's a tough one! She learned from the best, from her father!" said Fireball to himself, while pushing the gas pedal as hard as he could.

"I wish I could talk to him after the race... I could not take my mind off of him since I first met him. Ohh, April is like a watchdog around him. Maybe I can get a free moment to talk to him", Claudia was thinking, while riding to beat the wind, alongside the Red Fury.

They are getting close to the finish line! Claudia speeds up, but Fireball is in the lead now! He passed her by a few feet, and he is... the winner! Claudia gets the second place! Next car to arrive is Buster...

Mario greeted his daughter: "Great job, my girl! Great job!"

"Oh father... I disappointed you... I should have been the first..." She started crying and leaned on her father's chest.

"Well you are a very tough competition, you know...! Congratulations!" a voice from behind startled them.

"Fireball!" shouted Claudia.

"Seriously, we were very close, you almost had me. But, hey, sorry I had to win over a pretty lady, you know how races are... The winner takes it all", winked Fireball.

"I... I don't know what to say... I guess... congratulations to you too, Fireball", she wiped her tears and blushed.

Behind Fireball, a blonde silhouette showed up. Of course, April was there to guard his moves. Urghhh... Claudia waved at her in a friendly gesture.

"Hi Claudia! Congratulations!", April said.

"I gotta go, see you at the podium!", Fireball shouted.

5 minutes later:

"Is she a pretty lady to you?", said April.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I heard you saying to her that she is a pretty lady. Is she prettier than me?"

"Uh ummm, what? I mean, she is pretty, it was a polite congratulation. Are you jealous again?"

"I only asked if she is prettier than me. Answer that question."

"April, you are beautiful! What can I say, the race world has pretty women and they sometimes are good racers. We congratulated each other. Don't start, please, you are being jealous and you know it's not fair."

"Talking about jealousy, you always suspected Jesse of getting to me. Now it's my turn! I call that fair!" said April with dignity.

"Oh come on, will you? The podium is waiting for the celebrations! Let's go" and he took her hand and walked over to the central arena.

"He didn't answer my question..." April said to herself, while walking beside him.

"Heeey, buddy, what a race! You are the best racer on the New Frontier!" That was Colt, popping out of nowhere and hugging the disoriented Fireball, who made a funny grimace while Colt was squeezing him tight.

"Yeah, I would say he is the best in the entire Universe" Saber Rider added from behind.

"Well, look who is here! Welcome to the showdown, Sincia!" April giggled.

From behind the tall Saber Rider, a friendly brunette figure showed. Saber was holding her hand. Sincia was so shy, she wanted to just hide behind his big body and lean against her lover. They've been together from the first day the war was over. Saber just couldn't resist to go to her place and tell her the news... Then they went to visit his parents. Wow, it all happened so fast. Since then, they have been just floating on a cloud of happiness. And now, for the first time, they showed their faces in public, together.

"Well, I call that an official surprise!" shouted Colt, while he himself was holding Robin's hand.

Everyone started laughing.

The speaker announced the beginning of the ceremony.

Fireball walked over to the podium. So did the other two medal winners.

Moments of cheering, loud music and a big prize cup, that Fireball held high up. Cameras started flashing, champagne started pouring.

Of course, Fireball had to spray around with champagne. Who else was next to him, other than Claudia! Oh boy did she take a bath from him! She had to reply with her own burst of sprays. April had to watch all this. Something was clouding her joy of victory...

"April, come here!" shouted Fireball in the midst of sprays, confetti and cheers. He wanted to show off in front of everyone and give her a big kiss. Actually it would be their first kiss, believe it or not. She has been avoiding to kiss him for a while (she once blew sand in his eyes while he tried to kiss her, if you remember a previous episode).

She waved in a big NO.

"Come on, I promise I won't spray you! Haha!"

"It's too wet for my taste!" shouted April.

After the celebrations ended, Claudia looked for a moment to talk to Fireball, but he was surrounded by so many people.

But wait, here is an opportunity. He just ran to the backroom, to change from his wet clothes.

"Hello again, Fireball."

"Hey, Claudia! How are you? You look... wet" he laughed.

"Haha, I know who did this and he is going to pay".

"You did the same to me, so I guess we are even".

She looked straight in his eyes. Boy, she's got beautiful eyes. And a splendid wet hair...

She laughed.

Now he didn't know where to put himself. He put his arm behind his head and laughed too...

"So, did you and your father have plans for tonight? Maybe we can all get together and celebrate", said Fireball.

"Ohhh, I'm sure my dad has plans already made up, he always does, but I'll ask him." And she turned around, pretending she was busy going somewhere.

"Oh, but in case we don't get together now, let me give you my phone number, maybe we can arrange something for later this week", said Claudia, turning back as if she just forgot to mention this.

"That sounds fantastic! I'm sure your father will be glad to get together", Fireball replied.

She scribbled her number on a piece of paper and then ran as fast as she could.

Boy, she's pretty!

 

* * *

"Where are we going?" Jesse tried to move. The chains around his wrists were so tight. This time he was tied to a vertical metal plate. His head was tied also, with a metal band. The outriders were moving him through rooms and corridors, on a special roller cart. The sights in every room were terrifying. All sorts of instruments, metal bars and chains, drills and knives... They must be taking him to a torture chamber. Nemisis must want revenge...

Finally they arrived in a large room, with a lot of tubes and wires going across the walls and ceiling. A central spot was waiting for Jesse's metal bed to be mounted on it. They had cranes operate the entire procedure. Caspar was overseeing it.

"If you think that torture is going to be your revenge, you are making a big mistake!", shouted Jesse while he was trying desperately to move in his tight constraint.

A deep hoarse familiar voice resounded across the room "Well well... young Jesse!"

"Nemisis!" shouted Jesse

A tall dark silhouette appeared in the room.

"Aren't you glad to see me? See, I got another cyborg body, that is no problem for me. And I've got big things on my mind now."

"Oh yeah, and what are those?", said Jesse in a sarcastic voice.

"You see, I have a wish that I have been trying to fulfill for a long time. Fireball's father destroyed my vapor body 16 years ago. I WANT MY BODY BACK!"

"Tough luck, Nemisis. You ain't getting that back soon!" laughed Jesse.

"You even have the guts to laugh, ah? You have absolutely no idea what I am capable of, but you will find out soon!"

A shiver of fear went through Jesse's body.

Nemisis continued: "See these men here? He pointed towards an image projected on a wall."

Yeah he recognized them! They were the bandits he first worked with, when he defected from the Cavalry Command! Wolf and his gang! They were in vapor chambers now.

"Yeah, well, old friends. I see you put them in vapor chambers. Where are you going with this?"

"I guess I have to educate you a little about how things work in these vapor chambers, ay? You see, these chambers are engineered to emit a gas that spreads a virus that goes deep into your DNA. It changes your brain functions. You become loyal to me. When I captured these guys and put them in the vapor chambers, they transformed into perfect soldiers. And it worked both for humans and for outriders, ha ha ha!"

"So now you want me to go into a chamber like that?" sighed Jesse...

"You don't need to. You already have the virus, Jesse."

"I have... what??!!"

"Yes, you've been having it for many years, since you left the academy. IT IS THE REASON why you left the academy."

"Um...whatttt?"

"YOU are MY experiment, Jesse! Just like these losers in these chambers! Wolf and his gang were humans, just like you. Some of them used to be cadets at the academy there, some of them used to be simple locals. We let loose some bugs in the area. These bugs were actually nanobots, programmed to sting people and spread my virus. I figured if my outrider soldiers can get the virus, why wouldn't the humans? It doesn't matter if it comes from a gas chamber or from a bug sting. It gets to the same place! The DNA! The virus gets to the DNA, changes some genes and alters your brain functioning. You get to be a better soldier, a loyal subordinate of mine. And in the process, humans also get the ability to vaporize. This is how you survived Jesse!"

"I VA-PO-RIZED? I am human, Nemisis, I have emotions and I know what I'm talking about. You are making this up!" Jesse clenched his teeth.

A moment of silence followed. Jesse couldn't believe it. How could this be possible?! He is human and he is very proud of that! And he is still crazy about April! She is the reason he defected, not some damn stupid virus!

"You are so foolish! You think my experiment is just for the sake of it? What did I just tell you in the beginning? I WANT MY BO-DY BACK! This is the whole reason why I started this experiment! I started on my own people, I tried to wash their brains and see which one would be a better host for my brain functions. Unfortunately no one proved to be worthy. They are a bunch of idiots and they all lost their feelings in the process. So booring! Yes, outriders DO have feelings, out there in their homes with their families. But I kept the infected ones as soldiers, I figured that was a side benefit. What a better soldier than an emotionless dude?

But when it comes to me, I want to have feelings too, just like I had before, that is why I started looking into the human realm. Wolf and the whole pack didn't prove much. Such disappointments! Some started turning into animals, like Wolf... or the other guy with a tiger face. What a bummer. I guess playing with genes is trickier with humans. But YOU, YOU Jesse were the perfect catch! You were the best soldier in the academy, smart promising cadet, a bright future as a star sheriff. And accidentally, one of my tiny bugs got you! And what a lovely outcome: you kept having emotions and you are such a badass, perfect choice. You betrayed both humans and me, therefore my experiment turned you into a complete jerk with emotions, just perfect, perfect!"

Jesse's guts were turning inside out. He started seeing what Nemisis's intentions were...

"What do you want from me?"

"Boooring question!...Of course: YOUR BODYYY! HAHAHA!"

"Noooooooo!" Jesse groaned in desperation.

"Begin the procedure! You will soon be someone else! Your whole life is about to change! I am about to see the world again through normal eyes, and have a body of my own! Your brain will be impregnated with my memory and my circuits. All your memories will be deleted! You are the perfect host, Jesse! Young, good looking, smart and evil. Caspar, start the process!"

Jesse started screaming. It was probably the first time in his life when he was really terrified.

"Stop, Nemisis! Stop! Noooooo! Caspar, stop!"

The metal bed he was on started leaning towards an horizontal position. A robotic hand turned towards his head and placed a helmet on. He started hearing a drill and Caspar's voice in the background: "Commencing phase one: connecting to the master frame.

Sounds of machinery all around...

Phase 2: drill the left temporal suture..."

"Nooooooo!", he started screaming desperately. "Noooo, stop, no, no, please!"

A few seconds later, a loud explosion shook the room. A blaster starting popping shots around.

Who could it be?

Caspar ran away, so did all the people around him.

Nemisis started firing back. A few outrider fighters started responding.

A second explosion, this time close to Jesse. He couldn't see anything, he was tied and a helmet was covering his face and head.

In a matter of minutes, an entire hell broke around him. Screams all over, Nemisis himself throwing curses and lots of shootings. In the midst of all, Nemisis was yelling: "Don't shoot towards Jesse, you idiots! I want my body to be intact!" But then silence fell. Nemisis and his company vanished.

Silence, unbearable silence...

Then someone starting untying Jesse's legs and arms.

A voice said:

"Come on, let's get you out of here, young man!"

Finally the helmet went off.

"Who are you?" said Jesse.

"No time to talk now, let's go. They'll be back soon and I don't have any more grenades on me."

The man had black hair and a stark face. Jesse recognized him! Yes, he was the man he found in a suspended animation chamber a few weeks ago, before the last battle with the Star Sheriffs! He found him in one of the deeply hidden rooms next to the N'th Degree. He is that man! He transferred him inside his suspended animation chamber to a different place, because he thought he was a human like him and he might use him some day for some sort of barter with the Cavalry Command. After all, if Nemisis keeps a human captive in one of his most secret chambers, he must be an important person!

They ran away as fast as they could.

"There is a tunnel here that we can go through! Let's go! I know a way out!" shouted the man.

 

* * *

After a fleeing the outrider underground camp, Jesse and his savior managed to get out and ride a vehicle on the outrider planet. A desolated place. Dark, cold and no buildings. Flat and burnt, after the last fight.

Driving in the darkness...:

Jesse: "So, who are you?"

Man: "I'm your savior, that's all you need to know for now"

Jesse: "I know who you are, I mean I saved you too. Now we are even."

Man: "What? How did YOU save me?"

Jesse: "I found you in a suspended animation chamber and moved you out of Nemisis's quarters."

Man: "So you are the one who found me!"

J: "Yeah, me! Who freed you from the suspended animation chamber?"

Man: "Someone with a good heart"

J: "Like mine"

Man: "You don't have good heart, apparently. You kept me in that suspended animation state. You are still under the influence of that virus."

J: "So you listened to what Nemisis said. Now you know the truth and you know who I am."

Man: "Yes, and I know many more other truths from the past"

Jesse turned the light in the cabin. He stared at the man while he was driving. The man turned his face toward him and they exchanged looks.

"From the past?... Wait a minute! You have been in that chamber for 16 years! You are Fireball's father!"

The guy whom he hated the most, Fireball! His father is the man he saved! This is an incredible occasion! Incredible!

But now he knows he has a virus in his body. How can he get rid of that?

 

* * *

Will Jesse be able to free himself from the virus? Follow us in the next exciting adventure of Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs!


	2. Episode 54 - Hikari

Jesse and Fireball's father arrived at a hideout. It was an underground place, where a family of old people were living.

"They saved you from the suspended animation chamber, I can only guess..." said Jesse.

"You are smart. Now let's go and meet them. They might be able to give you medicine for your virus."

The thought of getting rid of that disgusting bug was tempting for Jesse.

The door opened and and old man with the face of a wizard showed up from behind the door.

"I'm so glad you are back! I thought you wouldn't come anymore and I was afraid something bad happened to you... Oh, you brought company."

"Ahhh..." And the old man jumped a few steps back. He knew who Jesse was.

"Erkanos, I know..., but trust me, he needs our help. Please let us in" said Hikari.

(Erkanos, if you remember, is the old scientist that helped Commander Eagle hide from the outriders while he was on the run on their planet. He explained Eagle the history of the outrider people and how humans and outriders have common ancestry)

Hikari and Jesse went inside. Jesse was playing the tame cat this time. He knew it wasn't the time to get cocky. Plus he could benefit from them, if they knew of any medicine for his virus.

Erkanos was cautious. His wife looked at Jesse and sighed.

Jesse started talking:

"I know you guys don't trust me... And I know I'm not welcome here. But I mean no harm to you people. I actually knew that you sheltered commander Eagle here and I didn't retaliate."

Erkanos replied: "As long as you keep yourself in check, we have the best intentions as well. I have always been a person of peace. Come in. Would you like to eat something? There is not much left in our pantry, but we can share."

The dinner was quiet. Jesse couldn't stand that tension. He wanted to talk, just to animate the place. He always liked to talk.

J: "So..., should I tell you how I got here and our stories?" and he pointed towards Capt. Hikari, Fireball's father.

Soon, Erkanos's eyes were shining. He could now see how it was all making sense. All these years of research were not in vain! He knew there was a virus out there, and he has been working on a medicine for it. He used it on a few outriders and it worked. Slowly, but it did work. It took about six months for one of his subjects. Another one stopped the treatment halfway through, though..., because he still had an allegiance to Nemisis written in his DNA, so he went back to him. But Erkanos never tested the medicine on a human. This would be something so different. And Jesse seems to have emotions, he is not just a stiff soldier. How could he have feelings when all the others infected didn't? He is human, that's why... Which means he can't risk giving him the same medicine or it could kill him. He would have to start new tests on Jesse, but that would take months... Meanwhile, Jesse wouldn't be a doll in a window, he could do so much damage. Erkanos needed to find a fast solution...

"So, this is where our lives meet," Jesse said, pointing towards Hikari. He managed to tell enough of the story but he omitted to say anything about Fireball. Hikari wasn't yet aware that his son, Fireball, was a member of the Star Sheriffs, although he heard Nemisis talking about him.

Erkanos decided to tread lightly around Jesse, he didn't want to brag too much about his success with his anti-viral med he used on his own people, so he presented him with a realistic situation: he needs to get some blood samples from him and start doing tests, because since he is human, the chemistry will be different.

Surprisingly, Jesse agreed to all of Erkanos's proposals. He was playing the good guy, definitely.

As the night settled in, they all eventually had to go to sleep. The hideout that Erkanos had was a sort of an underground home, with a lab chamber in an adjacent room. It was the same place where Commander Eagle stayed.

Hikari was not feeling safe around Jesse. He was not planning on falling asleep too soon. In the same time, Jesse was worried that Nemisis will come after him. Both of them were just pretending they were asleep.

In the silence of the night, Capt. Hikari heard Jesse tossing in the room where they were "sleeping" (or at least pretending to sleep). He figured he is awake, so he started talking:

"Jesse, I noticed you have not mentioned anything about Fireball. But you do seem to know him very well. At least you know I am his father. I want to know about him and what he is doing."

Jesse, gnashing his teeth on the inevitable question : "Hm! All you should know is that he is alive and he is 16 years older than how you knew him. You made a decision to put your life in danger, to defeat Nemisis, and leave a mourning family behind, so this is the answer you will get."

Hikari, visibly vexed: "Jesse, you don't need to twist the knife inside the wound. I'm sure that whatever differences are there between you and my son, they can be addressed. You obviously hate him, but I have hopes that this would change."

J: "Keep hoping, man. Me and Fireball will never get along. Plus, YOU started a chain of events that created this whole mess, including me having to deal with a damn vapor virus. If it weren't for your foolish battle actions, Nemisis wouldn't have lost his vapor body and I wouldn't have been exposed to the virus, let alone having to deal with a demented Nemisis that wants my body as a host! "

H: "You sure know how to twist things to your advantage. Just to let you know, my battle decisions were an ultimate measure! Nemisis was preparing to drop a mega atomic bomb on our planetary system!"

J: "Oh, what a hero! Guess what, he came back as a cyborg! Worse! Whaaa!...who's there?!"

Suddenly, their conversation got interrupted by loud sounds behind one of the walls. Instinctively, they both jumped on their feet. Hikari had a gun that Erkanos entrusted him to handle. Jesse, on the other hand, was unarmed. He quickly inspected the dark room and spotted a metal rod. He grabbed it and both of them flanked the door.

"Where are they, old man?" a voice from the other room spoke in a low tone. "Speak or I shoot!"

"Erkanos is captured!" whispered Hikari. We have to save him before they get to us."

Jesse, in his usual cool tone, said: "Let me take care of them and you cover me from here. They are all such a bunch of boneheads you would never even imagine".

Jesse cracked the door open. All the outriders, dressed in their usual brown-suits with the long helmets turned their weapons towards the door.

Jesse showed up with his hands up in the air.

A voice of an outrider in the back: "Remember Nemisis wants him alive. All weapons on stunt only!"

Outrider boss: "Well well, that was easy, Jesse. You got pretty scared by us lately, huh? Ha-ha! Where's your mighty friend, ay?"

Jesse: "I don't have friends, peanut-head! I killed him"

Outrider boss: "But you didn't kill your old friend and his lady here, ha?"

J: "I think they were cute, and he kinda' looks like my grandpa. Let them go and I'll go with you."

Outrider in the back of the room, with a silly hoarse voice: "What's that a "grandpa"...?"

Outrider boss: "Shut up, idiot. Let's get you back, Jesse. Release the old man and his lady."

Erkanos and his wife got released. They carefully stepped to the back of the room, while Jesse slowly advanced towards the outriders. His eyes were gazing straight at the opponent, like cutting swords, and he could hear the outrider's breath getting shallow and fast as he was approaching him. Everyone was afraid of Jesse. He was unpredictable and could outsmart a hundred of them at a time.

He arrived in front of their leader and slowly started putting his hands down so he can handcuff him.

Suddenly, Hikary bounced into the room shooting around at the outriders.

Hikari: "Erkanos, get down!"

Same second Hikari jumped, Jesse let the metal rod slip from his sleeve into his hand and with a quick move he punched the outrider under his chin. The guy fell down on the floor. Jesse jumped across the room as fires were being shot around. He pushed Erkanos and his wife out the door to protect them, then he proceeded into a ninja-fight with the few remaining soldiers that were closing in on Hikari. In a matter of seconds, the fight was over, Jesse took a gun from one of the wounded outriders and finished the job. All the outriders being shot turned into humans and ran away. Yes, shooting them in their own dimension made them humans...

Hikari looked at Jesse in amazement. He never saw any other Star Sheriff so agile and quick. And so masterful at the fight skills.

Jesse caught his look and smirked: "You haven't seen anything yet."

"You had a good teacher for sure", said Hikari.

"Yeah, but she likes your tin-star son, Fireball, instead of me", puffed Jesse in discontent.

"Ah, so that's the whole rivalry... A woman...", thought Hikari to himself.

"But I'm better than him!" continued Jesse in a painful groan.

Hikari decided to shut up. Now Jesse had a gun too, so he was definitely a dangerous loose cannon.

Jesse and Hikari left the room and gathered with Erkanos and his wife.

"There are others outside," sobbed the old lady. "Let's go this way, there is a pathway through here."

"Oh yeah, the same way Eagle escaped..." said Jesse to himself. "Well, the wheel is turning, now I'm a fugitive".

All four were running along a tunnel. The end of the tunnel led to a runway that was underground, with a big sky opening at the end, where shuttles were taking off from. Just around the corner, Erkanos said, breathing heavily after the intense running:

"You two can go from here, take the large ship on the right, it has been active in the past few days so I know it's working."

Hikari: "Erkanos, you can't stay here, it's dangerous. We'll take you to a safer place."

Erkanos: "Oh, no, I have my lab and my work... I can't go anywhere."

Hikari: "But you both are at risk! Nemisis knows about your lab work now, so he can exterminate you."

Jesse: "All three of you, move along."

He was pointing the gun at at them, from behind.

H: "Well, you had to get feisty! You couldn't keep it friendly..."

J: "Shut up and move. No more time to play nice guy. You are all slowing me down. Move or I shoot."

The ship he picked was blue.

"Well, just my color", said Jesse to himself. "These outriders really have a plan B prepared. They have extra weapons and ships underground. Hmmm. I wonder when they'll be ready for other attacks on humans. They seem to recover fast. What's their energy source now?"

The place looked deserted though. No sign of outriders. They were all probably focusing on chasing for them around Erkanos's house.

Taking the ship was a piece of cake. They took off fast and furious. Jesse was piloting. Hikari and the two others were his prisoners now.

Just as he distanced himself from the planet, a squadron of vigilantes attacked. Jesse didn't have much ammunition, so all he could do is go into avoidance mode. At which Jesse was a master. He hid the ship behind some asteroids and lost all the vigilantes in there.

"Let's see if this puppy can jump dimensions..." Jesse inspected the board looking for the fuel level. "Yesss! We are at a safe level, let's do it!"

"He is taking us into the human dimension..." Hikari felt relieved. Although he wasn't sure about Jesse's plans, the idea of going to his own dimension, no matter where in the galaxy, was just a step forward, towards getting back home.

"Where are you taking us...?" dared to say Erkanos, while his wife was holding dear to his arm.

"To a better sunnier place", said Jesse, rubbing his palms. "April, ready or not, here I come!!"...

 

* * *

On Yuma. A few days after the Victory Grand Prix.

Fireball, in his room. Looking at the phone number scribbled on the paper from Claudia.

He gets up from his bed. Looks at his cell-phone..., then dials.

Fireball: "Claudia, hi!"

Claudia: "Hello, who is this?"

F: "Um, it's me, Fireball. How are you doing?"

C: "Oh, Fireball, sorry I didn't recognize your voice. I'm doing OK, I guess. My dad has a cold though... I stayed and took care of him for the past few days."

F: "Oh, he must have the virus that's going around these days. April has a cold too, she is coughing. She says she wants to be alone though, she doesn't want to get me infected."

C: "So... are you by yourself now?"

F: "Well, yeah... So..., did you still want to get together...? Sorry it will be just me... My friends bailed out on me too, apparently they all have important things to do. Saber Rider is on vacation with Sincia... Colt is with Robin..."

C: "Uh... well, I'll only be able to see you later around 7 tonight..., my dad wants me to pick up a car from the garage..."

F: "Yeah, of course."

C: "I mean, I hope April will not be upset on you..."

F: "Hey, we're all friends, right, why would she be upset?"

C: "Right..."

F: "See you at 7 then, at the "Reno's"

C: "Sounds good, see you, bye!"

Whew... It's hard to lie, especially when you have never done it before... Claudia exhaled and got out of the room... Her dad was in the garage fixing a tire. Obviously NOT having any cold.

Mario: "Claudia, would you pass me that wrench over there?"

Claudia: "Sure daddy!" After a short pause...: "Dad, can I ask you a favor?"

M: "Claudia, you can ask me anything my dear, you are a silver medalist now."

C: "I'm going out with the girls tonight, is it OK?"

M: "Well, yeah, go ahead. Where are you going?"

C: "Ummm, we'll meet downtown and we'll see where we'll go from there."

M: "Sure, just don't stay late, OK?"

C: "Okay. Thanks daddy!"

Fireball was fidgeting. He was alone in his room. His heart was beating fast... He lied too... about April. She was not sick, but nevertheless she was not around. Because she decided to go for a tennis game with a bunch of friends. Just to get away from him a little bit. She got too mad at him because of Claudia and she wanted to clear up her head. And this way, if he doesn't see her, he might start missing her again and come running after her.

 

* * *

Planet Yuma...! Hikari couldn't believe it. Jesse was heading straight to planet Yuma!

After a bumpy ride through the wormhole between dimensions, Jesse found his way around the planetary systems and quickly got to planet Yuma.

This ship was fast!

Hikari: "How are you going to evade the interception systems? You are going to get caught very fast!"

Jesse: "You are outdated, Hikari! Just watch me do it! I've done it lots of times, because I AM Jesse Blue." And he laughed sarcastically.

And indeed, they landed somewhere near the Dome city. Yes, near the Cavalry Command central, could you believe it? And nobody intercepted the ship. Don't ask me how... Hikari was again amazed. He thought to himself: "If we could bring this guy around to work for us, he could be a tremendous asset!" He looked at Erkanos, who somehow was thinking about something similar... They exchanged meaningful looks.

Jesse caught their looks and intervened:

"If you guys are planning an escape, just watch me blast you!"

Their ship landed in a desert area, a few miles away from the city.

Rocks..., lots of sand dunes..., a dusty atmosphere..., an orange dusk horizon , and this blue ship, parked behind a huge boulder.

As Jesse was preparing to call Cavalry Command...and start his cocky speech to impose his demands..., a trail of dust was forming in the distance. He didn't notice it until it was too late...

 

* * *

"So we are going to visit this awesome waterfall, as soon as we cross this small desert. It's a really beautiful sight at sunset." began Fireball as he was speeding up in his Red Fury racer car.

"Can't wait! You know, this was a much better idea than going to that bar! I like adventures!" said Claudia.

Actually, Fireball's idea was to avoid being seen downtown with Claudia. Many people knew who they were and the word could have gotten to April. Claudia herself couldn't agree more, at least for now.

"What is that in the distance?...Maybe it's just an illusion. Let's check it out anyway." Something shiny caught his eye... Fireball steered the wheel towards it.

After a few minutes of driving, Fireball got really freaked out. He had Claudia with him and he knew exactly what kind of ship that was...

It was an outrider ship!

Claudia recognized the type of ship too.

"Outrider ship, Fireball! Let's get closer and see what is going on!"

"It's dangerous, Claudia, I'll turn back and alert my team."

"What if it's just an old abandoned ship from previous battles?", said Claudia.

"It looks like new to me", said a suspicious Fireball. "We are pretty close to it, though; let's check it out. But you stay in the car, I don't want you to get hurt."

By this time, Jesse noticed the movement and jumped from his seat. He magnified the view on his screen and... there it is...: a familiar view! The Red Fury coming towards him. Aaargh! He had other plans, but now he has to be inventive and turn this to his advantage. How in the world did Fireball spot him? Did he pick him on a radar? Impossible, he knows what he is doing, he never got caught. He immediately grabbed Erkanos and his wife and tied them together and locked them in a locker room inside the ship, while pointing a gun at Hikari.

He then rushed Hikari out of the ship and waited patiently for the car to approach.

"Do you think you are going to obtain anything out of your silly plan, Jesse?" said Hikari.

"I will obtain actually more than I initially planned!" smirked Jesse. "Now move, keep quiet, do what I say and I'll spare you."

Hikari, sarcastically: "You have to spare me anyway, I'm your negotiation currency, obviously."

Jesse: "Shut up!"

The car stopped about 300 feet away.

The sun was going down slowly, casting long shadows. There was an orange-red twilight, while the shadows were turning blue. A perfect hideaway for Jesse and his blue hair. He pushed Hikari against the boulder as they were hiding from view.

"You say anything and I blow you up! I mean it, so shut up!"

Fireball parked the car backwards, so that his car wouldn't open facing the ship. He jumped out first and had Claudia hide inside the car until he can figure out the area. From where he was, Jesse had a pretty good spot, his hair was masked by the blue shadows of the rocks. He saw Fireball jumping out. Claudia couldn't resist her curiosity, and she suddenly got out of the car and started following Fireball.

Jesse saw her jumping. What?! When did April change her hair color? Hmmm... Even if it's getting dark outside, her hair is so blonde that it should be glowing, especially because she is against the sun. Or..., wait, that's not April's silhouette. Who could she be?

"Stay behind, Claudia, please! I don't want anything to happen to you! Go back!", Fireball whispered.

"Hey tin-star! Ready for a surprise?" Jesse showed his face from behind the rock.

Fireball immediately jumped at his gun.

F:"Claudia, stay behind me!"

J: "Ohhh, Claudia..., nice to meet you! You don't want to show your face?"

F: "Get away from the rock and raise your hands up" He had his gun pointed at Jesse.

J: "Now let's have a little conversation, Fireball!" He pulled Hikari suddenly in front of him. "Let's have a little family reunion!"

Hikari's heart was beating to break his chest. He was seeing his son. No matter what the circumstance was, he was seeing his son, after 16 years! He didn't care if Jesse would kill him or not, but he was so excited to see his son. Nothing else mattered. His shoulders were shaking and Jesse felt it as he was pointing a gun at him.

Hikari: "Fireball!"

Fireball: "Father?!" He recognized his face, from his mother's pictures.

H: "My son! Fireball!"

F: " Father, you are alive! You are alive!"

Jesse: "Oh now, shall I hand you two some tissue paper? No tears, please..."

F: "I cannot believe this! You did you survive!"

H: "I... I am alive Fireball, right now it doesn't matter how."

F: "You miserable traitor, get your hands off of him!"

J: "Don't make me call you names Fireball. Let's stay polite to each other. This is the best gift of your life, bringing your father back. Is this how you thank me...? I saved his life and you still hate me?"

F: "I said to leave him alone!" Fireball's voice was getting desperate and emotional.

Jesse, in a firm tone, speaking slowly: "No, you put your gun down, Fireball. I call the shots here. One more move and I shoot him, and you will regret this for the rest of your life." Jesse was calmer than ever. He felt he had full control.

Fireball was desperate. He could not do anything, Jesse had the upper hand. He had to lower his gun.

J: "That's it... Smart move, tin star. Now put the gun down slowly and step away from it. Yep, that's it. Good job. Let me see your lady friend, too! Hands up, Claudia, step next to him. Now... who are you Claudia, again?"

Claudia: "I... I'm a friend..."

J: "Oh, a lady friend... Now Fireball, are you playing at two rope ends? What about April...?"

F: "Spare your conversation for later. What do you want?"

J: "Oh, but this is fun! Would you like me to contact April and tell her about your little sunset adventure with... ahem..., Claudia?"

F: "Keep your assumptions to yourself, Jesse! I said: what do you want?"

J: "Okay, let's talk business. But since I caught you red handed here, the stakes are getting higher now! My demands are going to be even bigger! Haha! This is fun!"

Fireball was shaking in anger and desperation: "What are your requests, Jesse?"

J: "Well, bud, no offense, but I'm only talking to high rank commanders. What about running a quick errand to Mr Eagle and crying a little bit on his shoulder before telling him the big news? Oh, and send my love to April!"

Fireball was astonished. Jesse managed to insult him, humiliate him in front of his father, whom he had just seen after so many years... and in front of Claudia. AND he intercepted his little adventure with Claudia. What an unfortunate night for him. All his joy of seeing his father alive was crushed!

F: "Jesse, you will pay for this! I promise you!"

J: "Keep dreaming, Fireball! You have one hour! Otherwise you'll be sorry you knew your dad existed and your little mistress adventure will be revealed!"

Fireball left the desert in the most terrible rush. His nerves were brought to the limit... Jesse managed to touch not only one, but two weak spots... His father..., and Claudia...

Claudia herself was very disturbed. She got so scared of the whole situation, but most of all she was extremely worried for Fireball.

Claudia: "Fireball, don't give in! I will help you, anything I can do, I will do!" and she touched his hand gently.

He felt the need to hold her hand. She was a such warm presence next to him. April has always been frosty (he even told her once, when they went skiing - remember that episode?). Claudia was just the opposite...

He arrived at the Cavalry command center and rushed into the building as fast as he could. Claudia was running next to him. They didn't think anymore of being seen together... The news and the deadline were more important than anything.

He arrived at Eagle's office and didn't even think of knocking at the door. He burst in upon Eagle. He actually interrupted him, while he was talking with April. She was there to ask her father if he had seen Fireball.

"There you are, Fireball!", said April, calmly.

"Commander Eagle! I have news! Big news! Good and bad! And ugly news too!" He stopped and leaned forward, with his hands on his knees. He could barely breathe.

April: "Fireball, you are really scaring me! What is going on?!"

Fireball: "My... my... father... He... he's a...alive!"

Astonished April and Eagle: "Whaaaat?"

F: "Jesse has demands for his release and only wants to talk to you, commander Eagle...!"

Eagle: "Jesse, again? I can't believe it! Fireball, let's calm down. What other details do you have?"

In the meantime, Claudia remained outside. She didn't dare to go inside. Through the crack of the door, she heard April's voice. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to hide, but didn't want to leave Fireball in this sensitive moment. Just as she was trying to sneak by and go hide somewhere down the hallway, April spotted the move behind the door. She saw her hair and opened the door.

"Claudia!"

"April!"

A: "Hey Claudia, come in. What are you doing here?"

C: "Um..., Fireball let me in..." ("Hm, April doesn't seem to have any cold, like Fireball was saying..." she told herself.)

A: "Did you see his father? Where is he?"

C: "Well, yes, I..." She didn't want April to know where she went with Fireball, but she couldn't make up a lie. The situation was too tense.

C: "Fireball's father needs our help..."

A: "Claudia, this is a dangerous situation, you shouldn't be around us now, go home to your father and stay away from danger. We don't want you to get hurt."

Fireball intervened: "Maybe you should stay here for now, we'll figure out a way to get you out and safe. It's dark outside and you shouldn't be out there alone". He didn't care anymore about what April or others would say, he had too much adrenaline in his blood.

"Oh, so now he cares about her... We could send her home with one of our drivers here, no need to keep her with us," thought April.

Eagle noticed the situation too, but didn't intervene in any way. The urgency of getting Hikari back safe was much more important. He called all the high rank commanders into his office in an urgent meeting. He also called King Jarray to announce him, since the king had been a long time friend of Capt. Hikari. He was still on Yuma, as part of the joint victory celebrations. April called Saber Rider and Colt. The minutes were ticking away. The one hour deadline was approaching...

The Star Sheriffs, as always, had to wait outside the conference room. Eagle and his peers, accompanied by King Jarray, took their seats at the oval table in the room. And sure enough, at the right time, Jesse called up. His face lit up on the big screen in front of them.

J: "Hello Commander Eagle!"

Eagle: "Jesse Blue!"

J: "Well well, aren't you all ready, spit and polish? Here we are again, my friends, earlier than you would expect, right? I have dear memories from that room, when I was Nemisis's emissary."

E: "Enough of your bragging, Jesse. We want to see Hikari."

J: "Well, before you'll see any bit of Hikari, I want to see April, too! Bring her in and then we'll discuss"

The four Star Sheriffs were waiting outside the room. Fireball was shaking in a mix of anger and despair. Nobody was sitting down. Colt was clenching his fists: "That weasel, Jesse... He is playing really hard!" Saber Rider was also astonished: "This guy has surpassed any limits. He's like a feline with nine lives and an enormous impertinence". April was feeling sort of guilty. Maybe if that embarrassing situation, when Jesse had hit at her many years ago, could have been avoided, then this whole mess wouldn't have existed.

Claudia was standing in a corner, scared and feeling hopeless. She was too afraid to say something. Tears started coming out of her eyes.

Fireball turned to her: "Claudia, I'm sorry you have to go through this... I'm so sorry..."

April's nerves were getting bent. Seeing Claudia around Fireball was already a reality she had to accept. Claudia's tears were just a bucket of salt on April's wounded pride. It was all over between her and Fireball. She wanted to go out and breathe some fresh air.

But suddenly the door to the room opened. Someone called for April. She jumped like a spring:

"Yes, I'm here!"

"Please, come in."

She stepped into the room. A blue hair on the big screen made her turn her face toward it.

"Hello April," said Jesse in a luring tone.

Her heart jumped, but she didn't reply anything. Too much anger, pain and confusion inside her. She just looked at him and tried to stay calm.

"Well aren't you glad to see that I'm alive? Oh, I guess not... Our last battle was too intense, you probably want to see me dead. But I assure you that despite that, I'm still very fond of you... " and he threw his typical charming look at her.

Still no reply from her. Just a long look, filled with anger.

"Well now..., problems in your marriage...?" laughed Jesse.

She almost jumped out of her skin. What does he mean by that? He probably knows about... Claudia?...

"Enough of your chit-chat!" interrupted Eagle. He had a sense of where the conversation would steer. "You saw my daughter, now we want to see Capt. Hikari."

Jesse: "He is right next to me. Here you go, take a good look at him and convince yourselves!"

Hikari stepped into the camera. Everyone stood up in the room, in an uproar... King Jarray stepped forward:

"My friend! You are indeed alive!"

"Your Highness, I am indeed. Please don't let yourselves be fooled by Jesse, he is..."

"Shut up!" Jesse pushed him out of the sight. "Now do we have something to talk about?"

Eagle: "Jesse, we need to convince ourselves that he is who he says he is. No offense to you, Capt. Hikari, but we would like to check your credentials. Please identify yourself and your service number."

Jesse: "Ha, what a formality! Please, Mr Hikari, suit yourself".

Hikari: "I would gladly do that. I'm captain Norio Hikari, first class pilot in division 1 of Cavalry Command, service number 445-23-79, ID number..."

Jesse: "Yeah, don't fool me with more numbers. Service number is enough. If you are trying to divulge our location through secret codes, this is not your lucky day."

Indeed Hikari was trying to send the location codes in the next phrase. Eagle was displeased that Jesse interrupted.

In the back of the conference room, one of the officers said out loud: "The numbers are a match, sirs! He is Capt. Hikari."

Jesse: "So now, gentlemen, we have a situation, right? You want him back, and I want my part of the deal."

Eagle: "What is you request, Jesse?"

Tension was floating in the room, people were all looking at Jesse.

He knew how stressful the situation was, so he wanted to tease them a bit and to extend the moment. He paused for a few seconds and looked straight at April. She was so beautiful... She was looking straight at him, with her big eyes, just like first time when they met. What was she thinking now...?

He finally broke the silence:

"I want April."

She gasped. Her eyes got bigger as she continued to look at Jesse.

Eagle could not believe the kind of request Jesse had just made. Everything but his daughter!

Great uproar in the room. Everyone was baffled.

Eagle: "Jesse, your request is beyond anything imagined!"

Jesse: "Come on, man, don't be so naive. Did you think I asked to see April just for fun? Wasn't it obvious to you?"

Eagle: "What if we say no?"

J: "Then you say bye-bye to your dear friend Norio Hikari. You know me... I keep my promises. So think about it, but don't think twice... You have 30 minutes to decide. Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

The screen went off. Everyone in the room was disturbed. Commander Eagle hugged April.

E: "April, I would never let anything bad happen to you!"

 

* * *

Would Eagle let his daughter get into the hands of Jesse Blue? Would Saber Rider and his friends come up with any solutions? We'll find out in our next exciting adventure of Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs!

 


	3. Episode 55 - The Prisoner Exchange

Seconds after the screen went off, everyone in the room started talking and a murmur was covering the room.

April looked at her father and said in a decided tone: "Father, I'll go."

Eagle: "April, this is the most dangerous situation you could be in. We have to negotiate something else with Jesse. He must have some other weak spots that we can tackle."

A: "Dad, I've been in many other dangerous situations before. I AM HIS WEAKEST SPOT, there is nothing and nobody else he would want instead of me."

E: "This is the most dangerous situation for you, and you know it. He could rape you, and that is something I would never let myself live with!"

A: "Dad, I know how to defend myself. He is dangerous, but I think he is not that bad around me. I can deal with him."

E: "I wouldn't make such assumptions. Jesse is unpredictable."

People started coming out of the conference room. The star sheriffs and Claudia were tensely waiting for the news.

"Whatt? He wants April?" Fireball yelled. He ran inside the room and stopped a few feet away from April. She looked at him with cold eyes.

"I made my decision, Fireball", said April, calmly.

"But you can't just risk yourself like that, April..."

"There is no other option, and you all know it. We have to save your father". April turned around.

Fireball leaned against the table... He felt all the guilt in the world upon him now. Claudia came next to him and tried to alleviate his sorrow.

Saber Rider stepped in.

"Gentlemen, I have an idea."

A plan started emerging...

 

* * *

In the conference room, after half an hour of discussions, everyone sat down, waiting for Jesse's callback. He was a little late this time.

After 10 more minutes, the screen came back, and Jesse's glare looks covered the screen.

"Gentlemen, what are your decisions...?"

Eagle: "We accept the trade."

J: "Wow, that was easy, wasn't it? Haha! Meet me tomorrow morning at 6, Yuma time. I will send you the location coordinates when I'll consider it appropriate. Only the Star Sheriffs to show up, nobody else, understand? If you try any tricks, Hikari is dead."

The screen went off.

 

* * *

Inside Ramrod:

"Jerk!" Screamed Fireball.

Saber Rider turned towards the team:

"He knows what he is doing. He is not giving away the location because he doesn't want us to set anything up ahead of time. But we can beat him even in the last moment, right, chums?"

"Together!" Colt raised his hand.

April's eyes were staring in the distance, out the window. Fireball was wondering, what was she thinking about now? Maybe she is so mad at him now that she would accept Jesse instead?

And a long night, a long wait for everyone... And despite them trying to unscramble the transmissions from Jesse and find out his location, they weren't able to. He is a damn smart guy.

April tossed all night. She dreamed that Jesse was... kissing her. She woke up very confused. She never let Fireball kiss her, but now she dreams about... Jesse?

 

* * *

It was a crisp dawn light.

5:30 am on Yuma.

The Cavalry Command was all awake. Waiting for Jesse's sign. All posts around the New Frontier were on alert. Nobody spotted him though.

Suddenly, a short transmission came through.

The coordinates were... Alamo moon... ! Right in the middle of the action. Jesse had big guts to consider that as a trading spot!

In an instant, transmission was forwarded to Ramrod. Three of the star sheriffs were awake. They were ready to go.

From behind the pilot chairs, a sleepy Colt appeared, yawning and stretching: "Whoaaaahhhh, good morning amigos! I slept so well!"

Saber Rider: "We've got coordinates from Jesse. Let's go meet the bad guy!"

Colt, suddenly awakened: "Alright boss! You got it!"

April took a deep breath. "Here we go, let's see how this day goes. No matter on which side, at the end of the day hopefully I'll still be alive. Jesse doesn't want me dead, that's a fact.", she said to herself.

Ramrod took off from Yuma and quickly made a turn towards Alamo.

On the "other side", Jesse was getting ready for the big meetup. He was heading towards Alamo also. He wasn't planning on freeing Erkanos; he was his ticket to being virus-free.

Hikari: "You know you are walking on a tight rope, Jesse."

Jesse: "Don't worry about me, Hikari. I walked this rope for many years. Worry about yourself!"

Erkanos, who in the meantime had been freed from the ropes he was tied with, said in a calming voice:

"You don't need to do this Jesse, I understand what you are going through, but please don't hurt anyone... You have a heart and feelings too, just like us... "

Jesse looked forward into the space and thought to himself: "Yeah I do have feelings, I know. I can't wait to see April..."

Alamo moon came into sight... Jesse had blasted away half of Alamo moon, with his Cobalt Blue Blaster, before the final battle, a few weeks ago. This moon was not inhabited by humans, but a lot of research centers, operated by robots, happened to be there, including biochemical research facilities. Half of the moon was still intact. Jesse was looking for a place to have Erkanos work on an antiviral medication for him, so Alamo moon was a perfect place. Two ships were approaching each other... Ramrod and Jesse's ship.

They both slowly descended into the atmosphere of the moon. There was enough oxygen on the planet, due to some powerful generators. Oxygen was used because humans were sometimes stationed there, to oversee the processes. Luckily, some of the oxygen generators were not destroyed by the blast. But there was still a lot of smoke and debris in the atmosphere, from the fires and destruction on the other side of the little planet.

Jesse chose a strategic location on Alamo moon. It was the Biotechnology research center. Lots of buildings and a lot of machinery around. Of course, it made sense, he would have Erkanos work there and research for an anti-virus.

The two ships landed... Strands and slivers of smoke were coming and going in between the two ships...

Jesse had to tie (again) Erkanos and his wife, so they couldn't run away while he made the exchange... Erkanos sighed... He wouldn't run anyway... He was tired, hungry, old... and worried about his wife... She was very scared.

Jesse came out of the ship, holding a gun against Hikari.

The four star sheriffs came out of Ramrod also. April was in front.

Jesse yelled: "All of you, I want to see all your guns down on the ground!"

"That's right, Colt, your gun too!"

"You three stay right where you are! April can come forward."

Saber shouted: "Not until you do the same with Mr Hikari. Put your gun down and let him come to us. Then we'll have April advance".

Jesse pushed Hikari forward, but he didn't let go of his gun.

"Move!" he shouted to Hikari.

"Now if April doesn't start walking, I will have to shoot him"

She started moving. One slow step at a time. Hikari was looking at her. Smoke all around... Inside Ramrod's cockpit, someone was trying to aim at Jesse. The best sharpshooter on the New Frontier... Colt! So then... who was the other guy outside? It was King Jarray's son, prince Roland, wearing a mask with Colt's face.

"Damn it, I can't aim... So much smoke, I can't see". Colt was trying to aim.

"Cm'on Colt, you can do it..." Saber Rider was thinking...

When Hikari and April reached shoulder to shoulder, Hikari whispered: "Jesse needs a doctor, he's got an outrider virus!"

April tried to process what she just heard...: What is he talking about? What virus?

She continued walking a few more steps... Each step was a walk into the unknown... But she felt she had to do something about it..., before Colt strikes... NOW!

In the split of a second, she threw herself over Jesse and both fell on the ground, right when Colt fired. The bullet missed.

Jesse, still holding her after rolling on the ground: "So you do care about me, don't you?"

"I just stumbled on a rock and fell over you, moron!" mumbled April.

"Yeah right, that stumble gave you such a speed and velocity! " he laughed. In any other conditions, if someone called him "moron", Jesse would have shredded that person. But from April's mouth, it just sounded so cute!

In the same moment, an intruder showed up in the sky... This time it was not Cavalry Command... it was an outrider ship!

Shots and bullets started popping from the sky.

Jesse quickly grabbed April and rushed back to his blue ship.

Saber Rider and his team tried to rescue April, but Jesse was too quick. Now the rescue mission was compromised, they were too far from them and a shower of bullets was in between. How did the outriders spot them? They must have had a tag somewhere...

Hikari managed to escape back to his saviors. Fireball grabbed his father and rushed him into the Ramrod. The whole team engaged in the fight with the outriders.

More outrider ships started coming. But oddly enough, they were not shooting at Ramrod at all. They were going only after Jesse... and his ship didn't have much ammunition. He had to go through loops and sharp moves to avoid the battleships. Luckily, Ramrod was right behind, cleaning the sky.

April, screaming in the midst of the fight: "I thought they were your friends, how come they're shooting at us?"

Jesse: "The want me very badly! But I won't give up!"

A: "You bear some sort of treasure or something?"

J: "Yeah, I AM the treasure!"

Erkanos shouted from the back of the ship's main room: "They tagged you, Jesse, that's how they found you"...

April screamed as she was startled by Erkanos's voice. She didn't realize there was someone else in the room. She spotted Erkanos and his wife, tied to a chair.

"You've got to remove your tag, if you want to get rid of them. Even if you escape now from them, they will track you down wherever you go" shouted Erkanos.

"Tags? Why is he tagged, I don't understand! And who are you?" shouted April, while Jesse was steering the ship left and right, to get rid of the chasers.

"I'm your dad's friend, Erkanos. Please trust me, we've got to help him."

A: "Erkanos! You are the scientist that helped my father!"

Er: "Yesss, it's me... Ohhhh" The ship made a sharp turn and everyone got shaken up.

"Two people tell me that Jesse needs help. We are on to something here..." April said to herself. So she jumped in at the ship's commands.

Although she still wasn't seeing the big picture, she had a gut feeling about this.

On the other hand, Jesse was thrilled that April was fighting right next to him.

She opened a channel with Ramrod: "Saber Rider, we have to escape the outriders. The ammo is very low and we can't fight them off!"

Saber Rider: "Yes April! We've got your back!"

In typical outrider style, the enemy pulled out a renegade unit. This one looked like a giant squid. It jumped from one of the main ships, and steered right at Jesse's ship, spinning in the air, with rotating blades coming out of its mouth.

In the Ramrod unit, April's spot was taken by Prince Roland. Captain Hikari took the initiative and started tracking the enemy ships and pointing out the closest dangers. The renegade unit reached with one of its many tentacles and tried to grab Jesse's ship. Jesse was skillfully piloting the ship among the maze of tentacles.

"Hang tight!" announced Jesse, while he was looping the ship in the sky.

Ramrod fired and one tentacle split in half. Another one reached out, Ramrod fired up again. Now the big squid robot came in revenge after Ramrod.

Jesse took this opportunity to steer his ship away from the battle zone. A few small outrider ships followed them.

April shouted: "Enemy on the right, look out!"

J: "Alright, let's fire at them. We've got a few shots left."

A: "On your mark!"

J: "Now!"

Ramrod was now in danger. The renegade unit came with all guns and tentacles lashing at the star sheriffs. The terrible part was that the tentacles kept growing back, despite Ramrod cutting them off. The battle was becoming intense. The squid managed to wrap Ramrod inside its tentacles and started shocking it with strong electric impulses.

"We've got to do something..." Colt exclaimed.

"We need a miracle...!" Fireball shouted.

Suddenly, the squid started shaking. The tight squeeze loosened. Shots from the sky were aiming at one of the squid's eyes.

The star sheriffs looked up. It was Colt's ship, the Bronco Buster. But who was piloting it? The best pilot on the New Frontier, Cpt. Norio Hikari!

"Hey, that's my ship! Don't break it, pard'!" Colt shouted.

"Dad! How did you sneak out?" Fireball exclaimed.

"I know a thing or two, son. I've been a pilot for too many years. Let's finish this battle fast!" yelled Hikari.

He flipped a few times in the air and threw the ship down towards the squid, in a rain of gunshots. Yes! He managed to blast one of the squid's eyes! Now the beast was scrambling to find balance. Ramrod emerged from the ripple of tentacles and punched the other eye. The renegade unit fell to the ground.

"Prepare to shoot, on my mark" Saber Rider announced.

"At your command, we are all ready!", prince Roland replied.

"Maverick gun controls on!" announced Fireball.

Ramrod pulled all guns out of its chest, and ...

Everyone shouted: "Now!"

Colt pulled the triggers and...

The renegade unit blew up in millions of pieces...

The rest of the outrider ships pulled back.

"Retreat, all units back to vapor zone!" a voice ordered.

The sky was clear again.

"April, come in! April!"

Saber Rider was trying to establish a connection with Jesse's ship.

"He flew away with her!" Fireball was crushed.

"That weasel!" exclaimed Colt. "I almost had him, but then it went foggy and I lost aim. But it seemed to me like April pushed him somehow. I saw her jumping. Did you guys see that?"

"I saw her jump over him" said Prince Roland.

"I did too!" exclaimed Saber Rider.

"What in the world is wrong with her now?" grouched Fireball.

"She made the right decision" Hikari intervened. He was just entering back the Ramrod control room, after parking back Colt's ship in the bay.

Everyone turned their heads to him.

"Father! What are you saying there?!"

Hikari: "I told her to."

Fireball: "You did ... WHAAATTTT?"

Moment of silence...

Everyone was looking in suspicion at Hikari. Colt was feeling his gun. He was ready to pull it, ... just in case... It was an old instinct...

Hikari broke the silence: "There is only one source for all these problems. And that is Nemisis."

"Yeah, we all know that!" Saber Rider interrupted.

"Let me finish... He spread a virus into all his fighters... and lately he expanded to humans... Jesse is under the influence of this virus... I told April about it when we intersected, and she made a fast decision."

"You mean that turncoat is actually a good guy, but he is just having some sort of rabies now?" Colt said in amazement.

"Yes, but he wants to get rid of the virus, with the help of a good outrider scientist, called Erkanos. Which is an advantage to us, right?"

Colt: "Sir, are you sure the outriders didn't rattle your brain, like they did with Commander Eagle when he was a prisoner? This whole story seems very odd."

"I know what I saw and I know what Nemisis wants to do with Jesse. I saved him, right before Nemisis was trying to wipe out his memory and re-write it with his own brain circuits! He is trying to get a new body, and he wants Jesse, that's why the outriders came today. As you could see, they were chasing his ship at first, not ours. So we have to find Jesse and bring him back to normal."

Colt: "I wonder what a "normal" Jesse looks like! Ha!"

"I don't know the Jesse from before the virus, but I know he is a bad guy with the virus", said Saber Rider. "And April is in his hands now. We've got to find them!"

 

* * *

Jesse succeeded in securing his way out of the battle zone. They reached a narrow path between two tall buildings. Jesse lowered the ship and stopped behind one of the buildings.

"I've got to find that tag and throw it out before they find us again!" said Jesse in fury.

Erkanos whispered in a tired old voice: "They usually place tags right under the skin, in the wrist area or behind the ears. They don't seem to have a very elaborate device, it's usually easy to spot, it feels pretty bumpy, right under the skin. I know, because I found a few on my subjects".

April went on to untie Erkanos and his wife. Jesse was too preocupied with finding his tag, so he didn't oppose. Erkanos and his wife sighed in relief. April brought some water to them. Erkanos took her hands in his hands and said: "Thank you, young lady. You are as kind as your father".

April: "Erkanos, I am so sorry this is how we meet. Let's see how we can take care of that tag, before they find us again."

Both April and Erkanos approached Jesse. He was just rolling up his sleeves, trying to find the tag.

Jesse: "Damn you Nemisis, you'll pay for this!"

April, getting close to him: "Let's take a look". She grabbed his wrists and started feeling his skin. She was too focused on her job to realize the contentment on Jesse's face.

"Nothing here. It must be somewhere else, maybe behind your ears..." She looked up... His eyes were glowing in happiness. He was looking at her with his charming Jesse Blue cat-like eyes, just like when she first met him at the Cavalry Command. Her heart started racing... She just realized how close she was to him. What is happening to her, why is she suddenly getting so emotional? She has always been able to control herself. This time she lost it... The looks they exchanged were so intense, she blushed...

"Hm-hm..." Erkanos cleared his throat.

Her heart jumped. She realized her surroundings... and looked away in shyness. His hands were already wrapped around her waist.

"So, ummm, maybe behind your ears..." She touched his cheeks and slowly felt the skin behind his ears. They were so close... and he kept his blue eyes glued to her... If only he couldn't see her blush, it was so embarrassing... She suddenly felt a bump under her finger and shouted: "I found it!"

The romantic moment was over. Everyone gathered around Jesse's ear, while he was getting a little annoyed, hoping to rescue back their little moment.

Erkanos leaned over: "Yeesss, this is it. Let's take it out fast."

Time was precious. Outriders could come any moment. Like humans, outriders had first aid kits on their ships too. Jesse looked around and quickly found it. He grabbed a little scalpel from inside it.

"I will do it, I know how to", said Erkanos. "I've done it many times".

Jesse was a little hesitant. Giving a potential weapon in the hands of anyone around him is a dangerous move. He slowly handed him the scalpel, but also slowly raised his gun. He would not let anyone take control.

Erkanos turned to his wife: "Please hold the gauze under, just like you know". Erkanos and his wife were making a good team.

Jesse was looking straight at April. His eyes started squinting. A drip of blood rushed down behind his ear. Erkanos was doing his job well. A few more moves and he pulled out the microchip.

"Hold the gauze tight" Erkanos told his wife.

April took the microchip, crushed it and and threw it out of the ship.

"Let's move, now!" she shouted.

Jesse, holding some bandage behind his ear, took the scalpel away from Erkanos and rushed to the control board.

The ship took off. April tried to open a channel with Ramrod.

Jesse blocked her: "Now I decide our next move."

A: "But Jesse, you need..."

He pushed her away.

"Where are you taking us?" she insisted.

J: "Away from your friends."

A: "But you need help, you have a virus..."

Jesse, startled: "How do you know about that?"

A: "Well, a bird told me" she tried to laugh about it.

He didn't take the joke well. "I am serious, April, how do you know about this?"

"So it's true..." she said.

J: "Yeah, it's true" he said in embarrassment. "How did you find out?"

A: "Hikari told me you have an outrider virus."

Erkanos intervened: "He is infected with the same virus that the outrider soldiers have."

"You keep your mouth shut!", Jesse yelled at him.

April took one of Jesse's hands in her own hands, looked at him and said with a serious voice:

"Please tell me what happened, tell me the truth."

Her big eyes and feminine approach were the ultimate knock-out for Jesse. He gave in and started talking:

"I... I didn't know I was infected until a few weeks ago. Nemisis revealed his whole plan when he tried to download his memory circuits in my brain..."

An so he started telling her the whole story... while he was piloting the ship away, far away on Alamo moon. Her eyes were becoming softer and softer. He felt that April was his friend now...

She was baffled! Now everything made sense: how his behavior has been so strange all this time; how he had viciously approached her back at Cavalry Command, in the backroom, and how she had felt that his whole personality had been awkward.

"You left the academy because of this virus!" she concluded.

"Ahhh, why do you sound like Nemisis now? It's not true, I left because of YOU, April!"

She continued, without paying attention to his remarks:

"If we can give you treatment for this, you could come back to the Cavalry Command as a Star Sheriff..."

"So... you want me back...?"

"Well I mean... Uh..."

What could she say now?

 

* * *

He found a place to hide the ship underground. It was a sort of a parking garage for interstellar transports.

The engines stopped. He stood up and repeated the question:

"So, do you want me back?"

She feared that any direction her answer would go, he would make a move on her.

No answer was coming from her.

He tried to grab her arm, like he did long time ago.

"Don't try anything, Jesse." She became defensive.

J: "You still love that clown, Fireball?"

A: "My personal life is none of your business!"

J: "Interesting, because it accidentally became part of my business... I witnessed your pretty boyfriend walking around with someone else..."

A: "You should keep your nose out of it!"

J: "Ah, so you know...! She's pretty, too, that Claudia..."

A: "So what, I know who she is, don't tease me now!" Her voice was emotional. ("How the hell does he know her name?" she thought to herself. "So it's not just my impression, Fireball is really going out with her... and Jesse seems to know more than I do.")

J: "No one can love you as much as I do, I told you! Now you see what I mean? He's going out with some other girl and you try to keep a nice face about it."

She turned away from him. Tears started coming out of her eyes.

He came behind her, and tried to hug her. She snapped.

A: "Don't push it!"

She kicked him away with a karate gesture. He looked at her desperately.

J: "Come on, April, I was only trying to help you!"

A: "Just don't push it, I said".

J: "You just saved my life today, you jumped over to save me. Now you push me away... Why do you deny me?"

His face turned into an innocent desperate expression. He got down on one of his knees in front of her. She found that so funny. The mighty Jesse, kneeling. A smile among the tears came out of her face.

A: "I don't deny... uh... Alright, I want you back, Jesse... As a Star Sheriff. I told you so since that night when you left the Academy."

J: "Only as a Star Sheriff...? You know I can do better than that for you..."

He reached at one of her hands and kissed it. Her hand was shaking. Yeah, old Erkanos and his wife were in the room, too, but who cared...

A: "I think you went a little too far into my private space for today" - and she retracted her hand slowly.

(Jesse thought to himself: "Hm, for today... What about tomorrow?")

Then he said to her: "I'll be here when you'll need me, April"

"I think now you, Jesse, need more help. Right, Mr Erkanos?" and she turned towards the old outrider scientist.

He acknowledged. His wife had tears in her eyes. She was a true believer in love stories.

They all got out of the ship and started walking into an underground building.

Ramrod was hovering over the area, looking for a blue ship...

 

* * *

Will Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs be able to find April and bring her back safely to her father? Join us in the next episode of Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs!

 

 


	4. Episode 56 - Underground

 

"So you can vaporize now..." April was thinking out loud while they were walking on a long corridor, inside one of the research buildings.

Jesse glanced at her with the corner of his eyes:

"Can we not talk about that?"

"You are a hybrid between a human and an outrider now" continued April, more like talking to herself.

"Yeah, a good human and a bad outrider..." mumbled Erkanos, dragging his feet behind.

"I'm a HU-MAN, and let's finish this conversation." Then he turned to Erkanos: "You know what you need for your biochem study, so move, let's explore the buildings and see where we'll set your lab."

Erkanos's wife suddenly stopped and started panting... She was very tired...

Erkanos tried to hold her. April went beside her and grabbed her other arm.

A: "Jesse, we can't continue without food and rest. If you want to have them help you, give them a break."

Jesse stopped and looked in anger. He wanted to get rid of Mrs Erkanos, but if he shot her while in the human dimension, she would vaporize back to her own dimension and Nemisis would find out from her where he is now.

"Alright, you losers, little people... Let's find you some food. Hurry up, let's move, move!" He knew that time was against him and the Star Sheriffs could track him down any time.

The buildings had stop points for food supplies, in case humans were coming for supervising or repairing the robots. The four fugitives were passing through long underground corridors. There were lab rooms left and right. All robot work inside was stalled, due to the system failure all across the planet. One could see through the doors all the robotic arms and complicated machinery. Jesse knew exactly where to hide: the underground labs and bunkers, so that Ramrod couldn't pick up their heat signatures.

"Where the heck is that "Cygnus" room?" Jesse muttered.

A: "What room?"

J: "The Cygnus, the cafeteria."

A: "You seem to know this place."

Jesse, visibly proud: "I had part of my active service here, when I was a cadet. I was the best in the academy, so they had me participate in a top secret research on antidotes to chemical weapons. Ah, there it is, that damn cafeteria!"

April looked at him with a "Wow!" face expression.

After turning a corner, a room with round windows showed up. It was dark inside. He switched the lights on.

"Ohhh!", Erkanos and his wife ran to the water fountain... Yes, vapor beings need water, a lot of water.

Jesse knew exactly where to go. He opened up a door - and there it was, an entire room stacked with cans, packs and bottles of food.

"Happy now?", and he threw April an ironic look.

She didn't care about his malice. She just spotted a box of chocolate chip cookies and seized it. While crunching on a cookie, she replied in a big smile: "You should try one too, they're delicious!"

Now Jesse was kind of hungry too. Too many adventures, he needed a break. He leaned over and helped himself. Everyone was now munching on something.

 

* * *

In the meantime, Ramrod was flying over the area. No heat signature was showing up on the screen, no movement either.

"This is an impossible mission now! How are we going to find that rattlesnake? He could have left the planet already!" Colt said in outrage.

Saber Rider: "I don't think he left. He really wants to get rid of his virus, so he will take advantage of the bio-facilities here. We have a map of this planet, with all the buildings and undergrounds. Let's use it and look for the underground labs and try to start from there. He's probably hiding somewhere there, that's why we can't see them."

"Good idea", said Fireball.

"We should also split and each try to cover a portion of the map. This way we can cover more area in less time", suggested Prince Roland.

"Excellent idea", said Hikari.

"I'm up for it. Let's meet back at these coordinates in an hour." said Saber Rider. I'll take my horse Steed and I'll cover the South area around this point. Colt, you get your Bronco and go North. Prince Roland, the Royal jet fighter is in the launch bay, do you want to head West? Fireball, you stay inside Ramrod with your father, hover over the East side and keep in touch with all of us."

"You got it, Top Sword!", acknowledged all of them.

Back at the Cavalry Command, Eagle was fidgeting. His beloved daughter April was in the most dangerous situation, held hostage by a treacherous enemy. Saber Rider was sending him updates constantly. Eagle learned about the virus also, from the briefings. Now he was going through all the Star Fleet databases to find out if there were any medical records or studies on this virus. None whatsoever! How could something so important, yet so microscopical, get overseen by them? Who was in charge of the military hospitals? He called the Yuma Cavalry Hospital and asked to speak with Hospital Director, Col. Dr Peters...

After a long conversation..., Eagle hung up. He looked down... Nobody, nobody knew about this? How could they let Nemisis get so sneaky and bypass all their defenses?

It was too late now to think about treating the virus. The number one priority was getting April back. Maybe humans could join forces with Erkanos and work on an antivirus, but who knows how long that would take...? For now, Jesse was simply THE enemy. The tricky situation was that, according to Hikari's latest news, shooting Jesse would not solve anything, because now he had the ability to vaporize, so it would only send him to the vapor zone, and potentially in the hands of Nemisis, who would make him his avatar, no question...

"Damn you, Jesse! You've been only trouble since the beginning!". Eagle threw his fist on his desk. "Combining an outrider virus with our best cadet, what an unfortunate situation for us. And now we can't get rid of you either way!"

He pushed his intercom button and contacted Ramrod. Fireball answered: "Come in, commander Eagle!"

"Fireball, in the light of the latest news, my direct order is: no matter what, do not shoot Jesse! If we do so, we are handing him to Nemisis, and we don't want that, right captain Hikari?"

"Absolutely agree, commander! Nemisis is set to get his hand on Jesse. His frustration of not having a body has reached new heights. That kid Jesse is a big trouble, big trouble... For us, for himself... I honestly feel very bad for him, and I think it's not his fault, he might revert to being a good person if we find a cure for his virus, and if we will manage to do that, we would have a valuable fighter on our side."

Fireball "Dad! I can never reconcile the idea of goodness and Jesse Blue. I just can't!"

Eagle: "As much as I understand the concept of an antiviral treatment, I must agree with you, Fireball... We've been double-crossed by him for so many times. And right now, it is not the time to talk medicine for Jesse; I want my daughter back and safe!" Eagle punched a fist in the desk again.

Fireball: "Right, commander! I agree."

Eagle: "Remember, Fireball: don't shoot down Jesse!"

Fireball: "Grrrr... yeah... I'll let everyone know."

In the Ramrod unit, Fireball opened communication lines with all his partners:

"Hey amigos, we have a new and "improved" approach to hunt down Jesse, courtesy to my father and commander Eagle".

Saber Rider: "Go ahead, chum!"

F: "By not shooting at him!"

Colt: "Say whaaat, pard'?"

Hikari: "My friends, he now has the capacity to jump dimensions, as you know. Do we want him to be captured back and transformed into Nemisis?"

Saber Rider: "Good thinking, captain! We'll be cautious. Let's try to catch him, if we can!"

Prince Roland: "Right, let's tread lightly!"

Colt: "That sidewinder, he always gets away with it!"

 

* * *

Erkanos and his wife were recovering back their strength. But after a little bit of rest and enough food, Jesse started pushing them again:

"Let's get back to work now!"

After going several levels underground, passing through numerous doors and descending lots of tunnels and ladders, Jesse finally said:

"OK, this is where the interesting part starts. All these labs here have lots of goodies. Erkanos, suit yourself!"

After scouting around the numerous lab rooms, Erkanos decided on several chambers that had materials, microscopes, spectrometers and other devices he needed for testing and conducting his trials. This was a long shot, though... Erkanos didn't have any of his original studies and papers with him, they were all left in his home... He would have to start certain things from scratch... Plus..., making a new drug would require a lot of research... It took him years to develop the drug he had back at home.

At least he knew the chemical structure of his original drug. Maybe he can start from that. After all, outriders and humans were derived genetically from the same ancestors. If he could figure out a common chemical base structure for that drug, that would apply to both races, it would be a major breakthrough... In a way, he didn't want the Star Sheriffs to interfere now, because it might mean he would loose the opportunity to actually treat Jesse. But he knew they were running on borrowed time...

Jesse was also very much aware of the risky situation he was in... But he was willing to sacrifice everything and take this chance. The horrible idea that he was trapped between two worlds, between two races, was scary and disgusting. And now that he had April around him, he felt some positive vibes from her that were giving him... hope.

"Oh-oh!", said April.

"What now?",Jesse asked.

A: "We have to look for an auxiliary power generator. It looks like we are out of power for the big machines to work..."

J: "But how did we get the lights on, then?"

A: "Solar power is used for the minor utilities. The rest has to be a more serious source, but you blew it up with your Cobalt Blue Blaster, if I may remind you."

J: "Alright, Miss Genius Engineer, since you are officially my prisoner, you will have to work to come up with a solution".

A, offended: "You have to ask me nicely. If you talk to me like this, you are getting nothing!" and she turned her back.

J, angry (He always gets what he wants, and he never has to ask, he just gives orders!): "You are MY prisoner, you belong to me now, so you do what I say!"

A: "Jesse, remember what I told you long time ago? I said "I'm nobody's property!" And until I hear a "please, April, I need your help", I will not move a finger!" She crossed her arms, lifted her chin up, turned around and started walking away. She knew how to play her cards.

J: "April, you are not getting out that door!"

Mrs Erkanos was stunned. She had hopes for a romance here, but it seemed to be such a bumpy road. She tried to say something to them, but her husband made a sign to her to shut up.

A: "I am an independent, smart girl, and you have no authority over me!" and she headed out of the lab room.

Jesse grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "What did you just say?"

Oooh, grabbing April's arm was her pet peeve!

A: "Don't you dare go at me!"

J: "Oh, yeah? Watch me!"

A big fight was coming. He wanted to prove himself in front of her and she was really angry at this point. The two old outriders slowly backed out of their way...  
He pushed her against the wall…

"Yiiiuh!..." April screamed.

She hit him hard in the chest in response to his brash move. She started throwing karate punches at him. Legs and arms started jumping up and down in the air.

"April, my sweet teacher, you can't win, I'm better than you now!", Jesse whispered in her ear, while both were twisted in a tight clench during the fight.

They started spinning around in the room almost like in a dance, but nevertheless a serious fight, while Erkanos was desperately trying to make them aware that they were actually about to break the precious machines he needed for his work... April was panting and moaning while dodging Jesse's kicks.

 

 

  
"Stop, both of you! If you want a chance to have something produced in this lab, then stop fighting!" Erkanos kept yelling.

"Alright, then we can continue on the hallway, right April?" and Jesse threw himself against her and out the door, with a warrior shout. She fell hard. He was on top of her, victorious. He looked at her with his mean look, ready to declare himself the winner and... maybe ready to blow her a much awaited kiss, because he felt like he was such an awesome guy! But, suddenly, he screamed:

"Hey! April, hey, seriously, wake up!" A few slaps on her cheeks... Nothing... She seemed to be out cold. "Oh, what have I done...?"

"April!" He started tapping her arms and her face, trying to wake her up. He checked her pulse, it was very faint...

"No, please, please, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... please wake up, I need you, my April... oh, my love!"

He was in full panic. A tear fell from his eyes, right on her cheek...

"A-ha!" She suddenly opened her eyes and, with a quick move, she flipped positions and landed on top of him.

"Did I hear "I'm sorry" and "please"...?" she said to him while pushing hard on his shoulders. I think I also heard "I need you", right?"

This was so amusing! She did it! She made him say "please"! She started laughing and giggling.

Oh, she was sooo... beautiful... Those clear blue eyes and that blonde hair pouring down upon him... And her laugh... Ooooh... what a precious view! He wiped his tears and whispered in embarrassment: "You win, April..."

"Well, then, let's see... I will have to set some rules and expectations here... I decide what and when to work on. OK, Jesse?" and she looked at him with a dominant attitude.

"Eureka! That's it!" Erkanos jumped up and down like a happy kid!

Both April and Jesse turned their heads. What in the world is going on with Erkanos?

"That's it! The answer is love!"

"Huh?" Jesse raised his eyebrows.

"The only thing that overrides the virus effect on you is your love for April! You are defeating the virus with love! It makes sense!"

"So, you wanna' invent the "molecule of love", now? Is that your antiviral medication?" said Jesse with self-consciousness and suspicion.

"I already have the medication invented! I used it on my own people. I was worried that it would not work on humans, but I am now convinced that it will!"

"May I ask which molecule you are talking about?" (Jesse had a little bit of knowledge in biochemistry.)

"Serotonin!" Erkanos exclaimed. "Serotonin is one of the many neurotransmitters involved in the feelings of love! It somehow breaks down the virus and makes it inactive... See, we outriders are not quite that different, we also have the same brain structure as humans and the same neurochemicals. What makes a difference between us is the protein structure. But we too have serotonin in our brains, and that's what I used on my patients."

J: "So, should I expect some happiness injections now?"

E: "That's right, you'll be infused with a lot of positive energy!"

J: "Then let's get to work! I can't wait for my first injection!"

April jumped up and said: "I'll start working on getting the power back on!"

Jesse, with a cheeky wink: "Good idea, my sweet April!"

 

* * *

The Star Sheriffs were scrambling to find April... More ships from Cavalry Command were hovering over the Alamo moon now. Any escape would be improbable for Jesse, if he tried to.

Saber Rider, speaking on the intercom with his peers:

"Chums, did you spot any activity?"

Colt: "Not a sign of life here, Saber!"

Prince Roland: "I'm not more lucky either"

Fireball: "This area is so vast..., it's like finding a needle in a haystack... So many buildings..."

Saber Rider: "Yes, it might take some time..."

Colt: "Days, weeks maybe. By that time, that sidewinder will have been gone to another planet already."

SR: "Let's not loose hope. We will make an initial sweep today, and then we'll continue. My map shows several sectors where there are tunnels and labs underground, let's focus on those areas. Be very careful, though! Our April is at stake, if anything happens to her, we are all in big trouble. Let's keep in close touch. Anyone sees anything suspicious, report to the others immediately"

The Star Sheriffs started a systematic search. A lot of ground to cover...

Jesse knew he was running on borrowed time. But he was in an impossible situation: no place to run, he could not go back to the humans, he was definitely not safe with the outriders, so the only place he could find was this tiny moon, inside a few hidden corridors. It was an absolutely risky situation, a last resort to cling to, a decision mostly taken at desperation. But still, a calculated decision.

He also had an advantage... He knew this area well, because he had been an intern here many years ago. He chose a well hidden location, several stories deep underground and with just two access paths on opposite sides of the tunnel. Both paths were very well disguised as fake walls, so it was hard to figure out the entrance. A really hard to get to place. Jesse made sure that both entrances were very well blocked. This place was showing up on official maps, but it was an extremely small spot and easy to miss.

April took her job seriously. She figured out a way to turn on some auxiliary power generators from inside the building. In the same time, Erkanos took blood samples from Jesse and started analyzing the virus.

Erkanos: "Hmm, the virus is exactly the same one, but it seems to act differently in your cells... Humans have interesting biochemistry..."

Jesse: "I don't care how damn interesting you find my cells! Just get this virus out of my body as soon as possible!"

E: "Yes, Jesse...!" He rushed to one of his test tubes and started mixing some chemicals.

Jesse returned to his control room. Now that the power was on, he could use the cameras to watch for any activity on the corridors and see if any Star Sheriffs or Outriders would sneak in.

April was still finishing up some touch-ups at an electric panel inside a wall. She was wearing protective gloves and she had a few screwdrivers in one hand. Something was bothering her... She turned towards Jesse, while he was typing something on his keyboard:

"So... How do you know about... hm..." she tried to clear her throat.

He turned towards her.

Suddenly she wasn't sure if she should continue the phrase or not.

"About... what?" Jesse asked.

A: "Um, nothing..."

J: "Oh, you want to know about... Claudia, right?" and he smirked at her.

A, thinking to herself: "Oh shoot, he's too smart. Why did I start this conversation?". She took a deep breath and replied:

"Go ahead, brag about it."

Jesse started laughing hard:

"Ha-ha-ha! My pleasure, April! I was waiting for you to ask."

He turned his chair towards her, took a bossy position and started talking, in an arrogant voice:

"She overthrew you, April, there is no doubt about that. Fireball is head over heels in love with her and..."

A, interrupting him: "How did you meet her?"

J: "I get to see all the important action, April! Always! Just like now, ha-ha-ha!" and he pointed to the camera screens.

She thought to herself: "Why did I put myself in this position? Now he wants me to beg for the story. I'm not going to do that, no matter how curious I am."

She turned around and didn't say anything. She continued working inside the panel.

J: "Don't you want to find out more? I have some spicy details!"

A: "Go to hell, Jesse!"

She dropped all the tools on the floor and rushed out the door.

 

* * *

The first day of searching was over. No findings so far... A feeling of despair was coming down on everyone.

Ramrod returned to Yuma for refueling. Fireball was in a state of confusion... Very happy, extremely happy that his father was back safe, but a terrible pressure was on his heart, because of the whole situation with April.

Eagle received everyone back in an urgent meeting at midnight, with all the commanders of the Galaxy.

Although it was a rushed meeting, Hikari received the highest honors welcomes. Everyone applauded. Eagle too, but his heart was broken.

After all the formalities, Eagle stood up in the conference room and spoke about the gravity of the situation. He planned another meeting first thing in the morning next day.

After the meeting was over, Hikari came to talk more privately with Eagle.

H: "Commander Eagle, an honor to meet you, after so many years!"

E: "Captain Hikari, we are all so very glad to have you back. You are like someone coming back from the dead to us. The honor is on our side, you are the most courageous man in the Galaxy!"

H: "I am so sorry that your daughter had to be involved in my rescue, and I appreciate your trust and generosity. Your daughter has the largest heart, her sacrifice is an ultimate gesture of kindness. I will do everything in my powers to help rescue her."

E: "Captain, we all appreciate your dedication... But you should be getting medical attention and rest for the next period of time. You have been under an enormous stress."

H: "I have slept for 16 years, the time for me right now is to be alive and fight again! And I am ready, with all my mind and heart!"

 

* * *

Saber Rider entered his room, at the hotel he was staying on Yuma. It was past midnight... He closed the door gently and tried to sneak inside in silence.

Sincia was awake though... She jumped out of the armchair.

"Saber Rider! I was so worried! I watched the news... I thought the war was over! Why again, why? I'm worried about my pupils, also..."

"We are on it, Sincia..." He crashed on the bed, tired... "We are working on it... Don't worry about the kids, your planet is safe. The action is on Alamo moon..., far away from them."

In a few minutes, he was asleep. Sincia could not sleep though, she was too wired on this new development. Too worried about Saber Rider...

 

* * *

Colt's situation wasn't quite rosy either. Robin jumped to hug him. She was so happy to see him well.

R: "Colt, tell me that this time it is going to be over! No more fighting!"

C: "It's a little bit more tricky this time, Robin..." He was so tired..., he was leaning against her. She had to put him on a chair.

He sighed and said: "That turncoat Jesse is giving us big, big headaches..." and he took his cowboy hat off and threw it on the table.

R: "You have to rest, Colt, go to bed... Stay home tomorrow."

C: "No rest for me when bushwackers and sidewinders are still out there!"

 

* * *

Claudia was still at the Cavalry Command when the Star Sheriffs came back from the mission. She called her father and told him about the entire incident. She couldn't lie to him about it anymore. He arrived there soon. They both got a special permission to stay inside one of the rooms at Cavalry Command. After the late night conference, Claudia and her father met Fireball and Norio Hikari.

Fireball was pale and his eyes had dark circles. Claudia encouraged him:

"Fireball, everything will be alright! I have faith in you!"

He turned to her and saw the glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"Yes, Claudia, I know! When the chips are down, we always find a way out!" and he held her hands.

 

* * *

Prince Roland was probably the most energetic of all. He was not tired and his morale was still up. He had hopes of finding Jesse and he met his father King Jarray with a big smile. It was one of his most exciting missions he has ever participated in.

"Father, we are making progress. We will find Jesse Blue. But we need extra ships and troops, in case of another attack from the outriders. Will you provide that?"

"Of course, my son! Our allies need us!"

 

* * *

April was still mad at Jesse after the previous night's discussion. She went to sleep almost crying. Why does he have to be so mean? What if the treatment won't improve anything? What if this is the way he is, even without any virus?

She woke up with a big headache.

Erkanos was already awake. When she stepped into the room, he turned to her with a victorious face:

"I managed to get a pure batch of the medicine! It's sterilized and it's ready for the first shot!"

A: "Wow, that was so fast!"

Jesse entered the room: "Then let's get it done, amigos! I am ready!"

Erkanos pulled out a vial and a syringe and started drawing out the serum. He approached Jesse and said:

"Just a heads-up, Jesse: the injection will go in your vein and it will be kind of painful"...

J: "Knock yourself out, man! I'm used to pain, I've been living with a heartache ever since I met April."

She pretended she didn't hear that. She sat down on a chair next to him and watched Erkanos prepare the injection.

"Aaaarrggghhh!" he started screaming and grabbed her hand. It was kind of... painful...

"There, now! You are a big child!" she looked at him and covered his sore spot with a band-aid, after Erkanos finished. But she didn't have time to say more. He fell over her like a rock.

"Jesse!"

He turned very pale, his skin turned cold and he started shaking...

Erkanos was scared: "I used a very small dose! This shouldn't happen!"

They put him on the floor and started checking his vital signs. He was unconscious. His heart was racing...

"Jesse! Wake up, Jesse!" April was next to him.

After 30 minutes of trying to revive him, he finally came back. His lips were pale.

April was right above:

"Jesse, how do you feel?"

"Like a tortured rat!" he stood up and clenched his fists.

("That doesn't sound like a kind and gentle Jesse", April thought)

Erkanos had to work more on his drug...

"I need a drink...", I feel nauseous," Jesse concluded.

After a few hours of sitting with his head on the keyboards in front of the command panel, he raised his head... April was next to him.

J: "Hey... I fell asleep..."

A: "I know you did."

J: "You watched me?"

A: "We all watched you."

J: "You care about me..."

Moment of silence...

J: "Thank you..."

Her heart jumped. His first sign of kindness! Does that mean the medication... works?

Erkanos entered the room with a little notepad, and said:

"The virus blood level went down by 10 percent! Incredible! Extremely fast and only in one dose!"

J: "Good news, but man, do I have to faint and come back every time to get this virus out?"

E: "I'll have to dilute the solution even more. You seem to respond to much lower doses than my people"

J: "You do what you have to do, just do it fast and don't kill me, alright?"

April was happy. She gave Jesse a big smile. She wanted to celebrate somehow, but didn't know how.

He was happy too... All in all, he just got a big dose of serotonin... and seeing her smile was definitely a boost in his mood. He felt very energetic and motivated. The only thing he missed was... his control panel...

He turned towards his screens and...! people showed up in the cameras! There were outriders in the building! Sector 3 and 5 had several dozens of ugly brown masked soldiers, running up and down the corridors, just a few levels above them...!

All of them were watching in dismay. How did the outriders find the needle in the haystack? And even before the Star Sheriffs? They must have become smart suddenly! Jesse didn't expect this!

 

* * *

What will happen to Jesse and April? Find out in our next exciting adventure of Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs!

Save


	5. Episode 57 - The Rescue

 

Lots and lots of outriders. Up and down hallways, entering rooms, breaking lab materials... Glassware falling on the floors, test tubes spilled everywhere... Bustle all around! All four people hiding in the bunker underneath were watching on the cameras with keen attention.

"We have to stay put here. No one moves, understand?" Jesse ordered.

Suddenly, they saw shots being fired. Prince Roland showed up from one corner of a camera.

"Saber Rider, come in! Outrider ambush! I need help!" the Prince shouted in his helmet mic.

"Give us your location, we are on our way!" Saber responded.

Prince Roland was surrounded from all directions. He was hiding in a corner, while the outriders were slowly advancing towards him.

Suddenly, a big explosion shook the end of the corridor. A few outriders fell to the floor and vaporized. Then Saber Rider and his team entered the scene. Blasters started shooting everywhere.

The outriders were retreating. The Star Sheriffs reunited with Prince Roland and started chasing them down a corridor. They all started descending through some stairs... The action was getting closer to Jesse's hideout...

"Drop your weapons, vapor bags!" Colt shouted.

The pack of outriders stopped in front of a wall... There was nowhere to go for them.

"You are surrounded!" Fireball declared.

The clicking sound of a gun came from behind Saber Rider...

"Not so fast..., mes amis!"

A fierce figure appeared from behind the Star Sheriffs. It was Jean Claude, the famous teal-haired outrider!

Jean-Claude, in his French accent trill: "Now I say YOU are suRRounded!..." Several of his lieutenants stepped behind him, with weapons ready to fire.

Inside Jesse's hideout, April gasped and jumped from her seat: "I've got to help my friends!"

She rushed out the door.

"Nooo, April, you are not going anywhere!" Jesse started chasing her. He jumped after her and made her stumble and fall.

 

 

 

"Let me go, my friends need my help!", she was pushing and kicking him away.

J: "We are safe where we are, let them deal with the trouble! What do I care about the Star Sheriffs?!"

A: "No, they are my friends, I've got to save them, let me go!"

From behind the two wrestling kids, Mrs Erkanos showed up... She ran towards Jesse, and as he was pushing April down on the ground, her syringe stabbed Jesse in his thigh. The serum quickly made it into his muscle (terribly painful if injected IM, yesss...).

"AAAAArghhhhhhhh!" Jesse screamed in terrible pain.

April released herself from his clasp and ran towards the exit.

 

* * *

Back in the upper room, the situation was critical. All the outriders against the wall suddenly turned towards the Star Sheriffs and Prince Roland. The four young men were caught without escape.

"Mhahahaha! Such a waste, you could have all been allegiants of Nemisis. Too bad, I'm going to shoot you all. Nice seeing you again, Colt. It's a pleasure to shoot you!"

"Whoopty-doo, calm down drifter!" Colt exclaimed.

"So long, cowboy!" Jean-Claude raised his gun to shoot Colt... His cutting eyes intersected with Colt's angry look.

Suddenly, a shot from above! Jean-Claude's gun fell to the ground. Several more shots and a few outriders fell down and vaporized.

"Woaaaaahhhh" the outriders started screaming in panic.

The blonde haired April jumped out of nowhere and started shooting the bad guys.

"April!" the Sheriffs exclaimed.

Jean-Claude managed to sneak by in the panic of the moment. The Star Sheriffs were engaged in fighting all the outriders around them. Prince Roland called for additional help from his father's troops.

The fight was getting fierce. More outriders started coming from different corridors. April and the Sheriffs found a dark room to hide in. They used the spot to ambush the outriders coming down the corridors.

But in an instant, out of a dark corner in the room, Jean Claude emerged... He grabbed April by the neck and pointed a gun at her.

"Now let's see what you can do, Star Sheriffs!"

He started dragging her out the door and down the hallway.

"The girl is mine! And soon I will find that cute blue haired boy also, and Nemisis will be more than pleased with my catch. Mhaaaaahahaha!" His voice resonated along the hallway.

The Star Sheriffs and Prince Roland were again caught in a tense situation. As Jean-Claude was slowly moving away from them, they were following him step by step. What an unsteady situation... A total roller-coaster for the Star Sheriffs today. Having the upper hand, then losing April again, what a nerve-wracking mission.

"Or... that cute blue haired boy will find YOU, Jean-Claude! " Jesse showed up from behind the outrider.

Everyone gasped.

Jean-Claude didn't have a chance to turn around. Jesse stabbed him before you could say knife. Jean-Claude fell to the ground and vanished in the vapor zone.

April slipped down on her back and into Jesse's arms...

Another loop on the roller coaster for the Star Sheriffs today... This time with Jesse... Is this day going to end...?

Jesse was limping... His leg was in terrible pain. Droplets of sweat were covering his forehead... His body was shaking... But he was standing up, holding April.

"Let her go, Jesse!" Fireball shouted.

J: "Go to hell, Tin-Star!" He was trying to keep an erect posture, but the serum was taking over... His knife fell on the ground with a loud noise, resonating along the hallway...

Shots in the distance, footsteps approaching... An entire squadron was coming from behind... They were King Jarray's people and Norio Hikari.

Hikari spotted Jesse holding April and saw the Star Sheriffs. He shouted:

"Jesse, give yourself up, we won!"

The sound was far, far in a tunnel... The light was so strong... The ceiling started spinning, and Jesse fell down to the ground, holding April tight...

She turned around, grabbed his wrist and felt his pulse. Rapid, just like last time. He was pale. The Star Sheriffs gathered around and looked at Jesse.

"Well, you hypnotized him, April? What'd ya' do to him?" said Colt in disbelief.

"He's out cold!" Saber Rider exclaimed.

"He'll be fine, in 30 minutes he will wake up. The treatment is just very harsh on him", said April.

"Wow, he gets treatment already?" exclaimed Fireball.

"Yes, Erkanos is giving him injections... Wooow, wait, Erkanos and his wife, we have to go back and get them out of there!", April shouted in panic.

The team rushed back down the corridor and ... oh no! The wall was broken, a big blast left a hole in the wall!

They all entered the underground lab area and ... what a disaster! Fire everywhere, all the labs have been destroyed by the outriders... No trace of the two scientists.

April hid her face in her palms and started sobbing:

"I should have thought of them too! I left them there without help... Nemisis will be ruthless with them"

"We'll find a solution, April. We always do. Right, chums?" Saber Rider said.

 

* * *

Back at Cavalry Command. April hugging her father.

"So good to see you back, my daughter! So good to see you!"

"Dad, I'm so glad we are all back safe! And Jesse too..." She wiped her tears.

Eagle: "Yes, he will have to answer some difficult questions now... A court martial is awaiting him..."

April: "Whaaat? Dad, he has to get treatment for the virus first!"

E: "Are you sympathizing with him now?"

A: "He might turn around after treatment, dad... I mean..." she blushed and held her fists on her chest. She looked out the window. "We could bring him back, daddy, I have a feeling about this..."

Eagle, putting a hand on her shoulder: "I trust your feelings, April. I always did. We will do the best in our powers to bring peace and harmony on our Frontier."

A: "Yes, daddy..." She stuck her face in his chest and started crying... If only they would find a way to make Jesse come back. Please don't court martial him...

 

* * *

Jesse woke up in the hospital. White walls around him.

Again, the same exclamation, this time a human:

"He is waking up!"

"Alright, here we go again..." Jesse said to himself. He became aware of his surroundings very quickly.

Terrible headache and nausea. Again... Ugh, life of a tortured rat! He's never had any health issues. And now he was in the hands of doctors. Totally up to their powers. They could shut him down and restart him, just like you would start and stop an engine. Shucks!

Again, white coats bustling around him. Shuffle, shuffle, people checking his blood pressure, ugh... this damn nausea, damn that stupid sero-to-nin...

Suddenly, he lifted himself up from bed and opened his eyes..., to everyone's shock: "Guys, give me some ginger ale or something... or I'm gonna throw up right here!"

A entire team of white coats stopped like in a screen-shot and looked at him with stuporous faces.

He turned towards a guy that was staring at him in dismay and said: "What, man? Just do something! I'm really sick!"

A nurse rushed in with a juice and a pill:

"Here, get this!"

She handed him the tray with the drink and the pill and retreated very quickly. Everyone was dealing with him like he was radioactive.

"Hey, ma'am! Nurse, what's your name?", insisted Jesse.

"Nancy..."

"Little Nancy, don't be afraid! I'm not contagious, is that your worry?" and he threw her a charming look.

What he didn't realize was that behind all the white agitation, there were some serious uniforms, with serious guns. No handcuffs or ties on his legs, but..., lots of guards around...

Behind the uniforms, a door opened... All the doctors and nurses stepped aside and opened his way. Jesse could not believe it... General White Hawk himself, entering the room. Jesse took a sip of his drink and his pill - what a bitter pill... yuck! One more sip... and the General sat down on a chair, right in front of his bed. Gulp!... His bitter pill got stuck in his throat. White Hawk was intimidating..., just like when he was a cadet.

"How are you feeling, Jesse?" White Hawk began. He was looking at Jesse with decided eyes, the look of a powerful man.

Jesse cleared his throat. He felt a sort of shame mixed with anger, but he didn't know which one to pick first.

J: "I'm good, General. As good as I can be in these conditions."

W: "Good. We decided to first treat your virus infection"

J: "First? I assume there is a second part also?"

W: "There is a second part indeed: to put you in the trial court. But April insisted that you get the medical treatment first."

J: "April? Did she?" Jesse lowered his head and made a humble face.

W: "She has a good heart, Jesse, and she wants you to repent for all your wrongdoings"

J: "Repent? Well, I'm damaged goods! Too late for me to repent!"

Jesse gave White Hawk an upset look. His pride was still blinding him..., but somehow he felt a sorrow in his chest.

White Hawk stood up and sighed...: "At least you admit you are damaged...Ufff... We will check up on you frequently. Get well, Jesse!"

Then, the General left the room.

Jesse fell back on his pillows. He fell asleep again... That's right, just forget about everything..., let it go...

 

* * *

On Ramrod, the same evening..., after they transported Jesse to the hospital.

Colt, on his chair, holding his arms behind his head, in his typical charming Colt pose - his cowboy hat rim covering his eyes:

"So, say again April: you sabotaged my plan to shoot down Jesse, didn't ya'?"

April: "I had to, Colt..."

Fireball: "You had to? You barely knew the story, and you jumped right into saving him. It's like you wanted a little reason to jump over that dude!"

A: "I used my intuition, Fireball. You know... women have that talent... that you guys seem to lack... It's called In-tu-ition..."

F: "I'd rather call it fallin'-in-love-with-a-boy-named-Blue! Ay?"

April, turning red-furious: "Look who's talking about love! You really have a lot of guts to accuse me here! You're not exactly in the right position to say that now, are you?"

Fireball gulped a big bubble of air... He was embarrassed now.

"It's alright, Fireball. I'm not mad at you anymore. Let's be adults here. Claudia is your new girlfriend, just so that everyone is not going to talk behind my back. Alright guys?" and she turned towards Saber Rider and Colt. Both of them were covering their faces with one hand, in embarrassment.

Fireball lowered his head... This conversation was too awkward already. But April had the upper hand.

 

* * *

Later during the same day, Eagle was in his office with the Star Sheriffs and Fireball's father, Hikari:

"Commander Eagle, this is a tough decision, and a very very risky one right now, so it is only your call."

Eagle, looking at them thoughtfully, holding his chin:

"I would need a detailed description of the situation on the outriders planet before we move on to save Erkanos and his wife.

We need some maps also, and some details about possible escape routes and a plan B. Erkanos is my friend, I have a deep respect for him and I want to see him safe. He helped me, his wife helped my daughter, they took you out of the suspended animation chamber, Mr Hikari, so we have all the reasons to back him up, but we need to build a solid plan."

"Absolutely, Commander. Everything I know, I will share with you." said Hikari.

 

* * *

In his hospital room, the next morning, Jesse was getting woken up by the light coming through the blinders. People in a room next to him were talking…

"So, serotonin is the culprit for these severe side effects! Hmmm", the doctor nodded.

"Yes, sir, April said, before leaving on the outrider mission, that Erkanos gave him serotonin shots.", the officer next to the doctor explained.

"She said that Erkanos discovered that serotonin lowers the virus levels significantly."

"Hm, I don't know what the virus levels were before, but we did find the virus indeed. It's a virus like I've never seen before…, absolutely incredible behavior in his body also… The good news is that it is replicating very slowly, so we can treat it at a good pace. " said the doctor.

"So what are the next steps in his treatment now, doctor?", the officer asked. "The Cavalry Command will need detailed paperwork on all the steps involved and an expected hospital discharge date".

"Of course, officer. Next step right now is doing brain scans and full body scans to assess the damage and spread of the virus. But, I won't bother you with these boring details; we will send detailed reports through our secure line, each step of the process. As for the discharge date, unfortunately it would be premature right now to give a date. We were never confronted with such a case and it would be improper to give you any expectations."

"Absolutely agree, sir. We will keep in touch. Any other information or help you need, please contact us at any time!"

"Thank you, sir."

Jesse opened his eyes. Did he hear…. "April leaving on the outrider mission?"… What? Where is she going now? To the… vapor zone? Why? He needs to find out more details…!

A few minutes later, the door opened. A doctor came in with a few nurses. Some guards followed them behind.

"Ah, you are awake!" the doctor exclaimed. "Good, let's see now…"

Again…, boring stuff going on around him…, doctor was examining his pupils, pulse, blood pressure, etc etc.

"Any more nausea?" the doctor asked.

"No, I'm good now. But I have a headache… terrible headache…" (he did have a headache, but not as terrible as he was complaining. He just wanted to find a reason to have them run more errands or do something out of the ordinary, so he can find some weak spots somewhere.)

"Well, Jesse, we'll have to head downstairs for some additional scans. Your headache will be better explained and treated after that."

The entire team, along with the guards, headed out, surrounding Jesse. On his way out, he discovered that the door to his room was monitored with cameras, had a special lock and also guards positioned outside the room.

All along the hallways, there were guards…

Jesse was analyzing every detail at every step he was taking. Any detail could be of help. They went to the MRI rooms…  
Jesse thought to himself: "Well, since I get to be treated for the virus, I'd better relax and enjoy the ride! Free medical treatment after I gave them the slip, that's a great return of investment! Let them scan me, prick me…, whatever, man! I'll give them my cells and blood to figure it out and get this ball rolling once and for all. But I can't let April go to the vapor zone, it's too dangerous! I have to find a way to figure out what's going on…"

After all the scans and procedures were over, they had him put his clothes back on (he had to wear a hospital gown during all the scans). Of course, as we all know, that's when the doctors and nurses leave you alone… for privacy. So the guards had to leave the room too…

Well…, surprise… when they knocked at the door to check up on him…:

"Ready, Jesse, can we come in?" the nurse asked.

The silence was suspicious. The guard jumped out of his skin… Jesse could outsmart a hundred of them. After all, he was the darn best cadet in the academy. The guard actually knew him; he used to be colleague with him back in the days… Darn he was good, nobody could beat him at any class! And he charmed away the girl that he liked!

They decided to gently crack the door open…

"Jesse, are you alright?"

The entire hallway was alarmed… This hospital was not prepared for such a patient… This Yuma city hospital was one of the best research hospitals in the galaxy, ready to take on the battle with the newly discovered virus, but they were definitely not a military compound… Sending an army of guards was not enough, the hospital itself had too many ins and outs.

! The room was empty! Where did he vanish so fast?

"That rattlesnake! Where is he? Shucks!"

"He must have left through the window! Look, it's open!" a nurse cried.

They were, indeed, at a lower level, he must have gone out through a window.

Everyone rushed out to look and see if they could spot him. No sign of any Jesse anywhere! The guards started running up and down the corridors in panic.

In the meantime, he was already in another room, getting out through the vent system in the ceiling. After a minute, he was up on the roof and jumping over to the next building… After all, he knew the ninja game very well.

Commander Eagle was immediately announced. This was the LAST thing he wanted to hear! NO, no, no! This is unreal! He rushed to his computer and started typing frantically. All Command posts have to be announced, all gates at Yuma city have to be closed, the dome city - general alert!, a dangerous prisoner is out loose!

15 minutes had passed since the news… and a shuffle sound behind Eagle…

"Whoa?!" Eagle gasped in serious panic. He didn't have the time to say a single word or reach for his gun… Jesse covered Eagle's mouth with his black glove…:

"Don't move an inch…"

"Mmmmm..." Eagle mumbled with his mouth covered…

"Now, I need all the files about the present Star Sheriff's mission. Departure time, destination, purpose, everything", Jesse whispered in his ear, then he released his mouth. He was pointing a knife at him.

"Jesse, if this is the latest offense of yours, you're not going anywhere with it…"

"Watch me cut myself and giving you a little virus… So, what's it gonna be, hm?"

Eagle couldn't believe what he just heard… This is insane, this guy is the absolute villain!

E: "Why are you causing all this mess, Jesse, can't we just talk about this?"

"You are wasting my time, commander!" He moved his knife quickly along one of Eagle's fingers and poked him. Blood came out fast. Eagle did not expect that… He jumped back in fury at Jesse…

"One more move and you are contaminated, and I MEAN IT!" whispered Jesse. "Now, give me all the information I need!"

Eagle had no chance… Jesse took all the plans and maps on a EBU unit and rushed towards the exit.

Eagle, behind Jesse: "Why, Jesse, why all this?"

Jesse: "Because you are an irresponsible father!"

 

* * *

The trip to the vapor zone was uneventful for the Star Sheriffs. By now, they already knew the coordinates to get to the vapor trail. The silence and lack of any sign of life was making the Sheriffs suspicious. Ramrod made a tour around the planet, scanning for any activity.

"There!" Colt exclaimed.

A spot that looked like a crater showed up on the screen.

"I'm picking up a source of energy coming from there!" April exclaimed.

"Then let's go and check it out!", said Fireball

They landed somewhere close by.

"April, you stay inside Ramrod and watch for suspicious activity. We three will head down there and inspect the premises. Keep in touch with us, OK?

"OK, Saber! Be careful, guys!"

The three Star Sheriffs took off in their armor suits, flying over the deserted crater. They spotted a hole and got in…

"Whoa, we really blasted them at our last big battle!" Colt exclaimed.

"Let's stick together, chums!" Saber Rider said.

"Look, there's a corridor here, let's check it out!" said Fireball.

All three took a sharp turn and dived into the darkness of the tunnels… until their silhouettes disappeared in the distance…

 

* * *

Back at the Yuma hospital… After the big unrest and all the panic, things settled down. The lead scientist, Dr Ernst Guerino, chief of hospital division of research was already getting his hands into the big data that he collected from scanning Jesse's body. He had a lot of stuff to play with: CAT-scans, X-rays, MRI's, blood samples, tissue samples… everything…

"Amazing, absolutely amazing! I am stunned!" Dr Guerino exclaimed. His hair, not combed from last night, was going in his eyes. He could not sleep at all night before; he kept thinking about the opportunity he had to do this research… He grabbed a big mug of coffee and started typing frantically on his keyboard.

"Whoever engineered such a virus is a mastermind! This is something like I have never seen before!" Dr Guerino continued to exclaim.

 

* * *

At the Cavalry Command, the big stir-up that Jesse created was now escalating. Prince Roland and Captain Hikari were leading a new team to intervene and chase him down.

But Jesse was already far away, jumping dimensions. Since he got all the data directly from Eagle, he also took the freedom to take the keys to the hangar where Eagle's ship was parked.

"Damn you Jesse! You took my ship now?!" Eagle threw a fist on his desk. "Ouch!" His recently injured finger reminded him to go more gentle.

"Uh, it's a hard job to be a supreme commander, but it's even harder to be the father of a girl!"

Suddenly, his phone started ringing.

"Hello, commander Eagle, this is doctor Guerino. I have important news to tell you."

 

* * *

Eagle's ship landed in a dark field on the outrider planet. A distant pale and cold sun was throwing long shadows from behind the black horizon.

Dead tree stumps were jutting out of the burnt ground. It looked like a post-atomic bomb landscape.

Jesse jumped out of the ship and started his jet pack. Soon he arrived at the big crater entrance.

On his way, he spotted Ramrod... No sign of activity. Darkness inside... The hangar door underneath was... open. Jesse decided to take a detour and inspect Ramrod...

"Hm, nothing suspicious... But why would they leave their ship open? It doesn't make any sense..."

He arrived up in the command room. Total silence...

He inspected the adjacent rooms... A pink blanket with a hearts pattern was lying on a bed... A stuffed bunny on top of it.

"Cute bunny, April!..." he thought. "But where are you? Something is off..."

He left Ramrod and rushed into the crater. Same route the Star Sheriffs took.

Darkness and silence...

"Come one, vapor bags, show your ugly faces...!" Jesse muttered to himself...

Suddenly, a familiar face showed up on a corridor...

"Oh, Glower! What a chance!..."

Jesse spotted his former outrider subordinate, Glower. He was patrolling along a corridor.

He waited for a perfect moment and... bang! Jesse shot at him.

As we all know from Saber Rider's past adventure in the vapor zone... shooting the outriders in their own dimension did not kill them, but turned them into ... humans. Jesse himself learned this a long time ago. Now it was time to take advantage of that.

Glower opened his eyes... He felt... heavier... Right above him, Jesse's face showed up. Glower gasped...

"Come on, Glower! Pick yourself up and let's move!"

"Jesse! How ... what... is ... going on?..."

"Big surprise, Glower! Now you're a human!"

The newly humanized villain looked in disbelief at his own hands... Until Jesse actually grabbed one of them and lifted him up.

"I said let's move! Where are the Star Sheriffs?"

"I um... aaa..."

"I said where are they?!"

Glower was not looking at him... His focus was somewhere behind Jesse. His eyes were telling Jesse all that he needed to know.

A sudden twist and Jesse was shooting all the outriders behind him.

Now the fire shots were attracting more and more enemies.

Jesse and Glower started shooting at them. Lots of humans were piling up on the corridors. They started pulling all of them up as they were advancing. Soon enough, Jesse accumulated a pretty big team of human allies.

"Now folks, I am your new leader. Where are the Sheriffs?"

"This way!" Glower announced.

The group moved along the tunnels. Suddenly, sounds of swords clashing became evident. Jesse instructed the team to stop. He advanced and looked through the crack of the opened door.

"Ha-ha-ha... Saber Rider, nice to beat you again...!" Nemisis was looking down as Saber Rider was barely hanging on to the side of a bridge over a lake of lava. "This time I won't spare you! Vents on! Evacuate the oxygen! You will soon loose the grip and fall into the lava! Goodbye melting Saber Rider!" Nemisis turned around and left the room.

Saber Rider was desperately trying to hang on to the bridge. He was trying to lift himself up but his energy was going down as the oxygen was getting sucked out of the place. He wasn't wearing his helmet, so he didn't have any oxygen source.

Jesse was in doubt... Should he let Saber Rider fall? After all, this would be his wildest dream, to see Saber Rider eliminated once and for all.

The young Star Sheriff was starting to agonize... Voices in his head were conflicting... "Let go..." "Hang on..." The fire from underneath was calling... His hand finally ceased holding...

A split-second decision and Jesse jumped out of his hideout and turned his jet pack on. A sharp turn into the air... and right above the boiling lava... he caught the falling Star Sheriff.

Maybe he knows where April is. Plus, he kind of hated to get rid of Saber Rider. He would enjoy more passionately the evil pleasure of humiliating his adversary.

As Jesse was flying over the lava, his heart jumped: "Man, I'm not wearing my helmet either!" His helmet was attached to his wrist... He was still breathing though! How was this possible?

"I'm a freak of nature" concluded Jesse in his mind... "That virus is still holding strong in my body. Maybe it's an advantage and I shouldn't rush to get rid of it"

He came out of the lava room and gathered back with Glower and his team.

"Let's get the heck out of here. You guys can't stay around this place too long, you now need oxygen. Glower, help me carry this guy, he's awfully heavy. He must have had some rocks for breakfast."

 

* * *

"Wake up, dude! Wake up!" Jesse was shouting.

"Should we pour some water over him?" a voice was asking.

"Ummm... what ..." Saber Rider opened his eyes. Adrenalin spiked in his blood. His last memory was of him holding tight to that bridge. Is this an afterlife?

He opened his eyes and a blurry image of a teal-blue hair started forming in front of him. Saber Rider's instinct kicked. He attempted to stand up. Jesse pushed him down.

"Where is April?"

"At Ramrod... Jesse, what are you doing here?"

"She's not inside Ramrod. Where is she?" Jesse's heart was beating to break his chest already. He never had panic attacks, but this was getting too serious.

"What do you mean she is not there? Are... you serious?" Saber Rider's pulse jumped.

"Man, I would not have this conversation with you if I knew where she was. Let's find her! Now!"

"Right!" Saber Rider jumped on his feet.

"I suggest you wear your helmet from now on!" Jesse demanded. He handed Saber Rider his helmet.

"Thanks, Jes... What about you? You should wear yours too"

"Don't worry about me, Tin-Star. By the way, my name is Je-sse, not Jes. Now let's go!"

As Saber Rider stood up, he got startled by the people surrounding him. They were all wearing brown outrider suits, but their faces were... human!

"So Jesse figured it out too... He's got himself a good amount of soldiers around him" Saber thought to himself.

"Where are your friends, the cowpoke and the firecracker?" asked Jesse in disdain.

"Colt, come in!" Saber Rider called in his helmet.

"Fireball, answer!"

"Your friends melted in the lava?" Jesse tried to joke.

"This is not funny, Jesse!" Saber Rider looked at him in revolt.

"All I want to know is that April is fine and bring her back..." sighed Jesse.

 

* * *

If you want to find out where April, Fireball and Colt are, join us in our next adventure of Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs!

Save


	6. Episode 58 - Altruism

 

"Yes, doctor Guerino. I understand. Right... Thank you for letting me know..."

Eagle sighed... The new information from the doctor was not keeping him warm. Yeah, so Jesse can jump dimensions. He knew that already.

Yeah, he can be anaerobe too.

Okay..., that was a new one... So what?

As far as he is concerned, he can be a frog if he wants to, but just stop being such a jerk!

He had a terrible situation going on and he had no control over it... What is Jesse going to do to his daughter? If he was capable of threatening him the way he did, what would he do to April? As a father, the worst thoughts were coming into his mind.

 

* * *

"So you came here for Erkanos? I can't believe it! Such altruism! Man, you guys are incredible! Pffff..." Jesse was puffing in contempt.

Saber Rider didn't feel like answering to Jesse's pokes. He just rolled his eyes and bit his tongue. After all, Jesse just saved his life, so he was giving him credit for that.

J: "What direction did Colt and Fireball head over?"

SR: "They went east. Look, there is a glove on the floor! This is Fireball's. He left a trace!"

J: "I would have been happier if I saw April's scarf or something. I don't care about Fire...Ball..." He pulled a funny face and crossed his eyes.

The two men and Glower's group kept following the path. Saber Rider threw Jesse a very serious look, the same cool-headed look that he always had:

"Jesse, you came so far for April. Despite the danger of being captured again by Nemisis, you risked everything to come here for her. I understand the power of love. Let's work together. What do you say if we make a truce?"

Jesse was looking down and pondering Saber's words. He slowly raised his blue eyes and and threw an askew glance at Saber Rider. The words touched a weak chord in his heart.

J: "Go on, I'm listening"

SR: "We can't save only April. Colt and Fireball are part of the team and we work as a team. The more people we are, the better the chances of us getting out alive from here. We will fight to protect you and your squadron also, in case of anything. What do you say?"

J: "Hm, makes sense to me. I want more than this, though. I want..."

Suddenly, screams from afar pierced the silence.

Jesse winced: "Whaaaat?!"

"Heeelp! Nooo! Help! Don't! No!"

"April!" Jesse and Saber Rider exclaimed in the same time.

More voices were coming from afar:

"Let her go, just take only the two of us!"

"Oh, but why would I let her go? I want Commander Eagle to see his own daughter betraying him! Put her in the vapor chamber! She might even be a good pair for me one day, once I'll get my feelings back."

"I'd rather die than be yours, Nemisis!"

"Ha-ha, well April, you see, death is not an option for you! Although... I like seeing you beg for that! It is only an option for Colt and Fireball. I have no interest in seeing their faces around here. But before you two losers die, I want you to see how she turns into a vapor being... Yeahhhh..." Nemisis huffed.

The three Star Sheriffs gasped. A shiver of panic went through April's spine.

"I guess this is it, pardner..." said Colt, with a desolate face.

"Forgive me, April... It's curtains for all of us..." whispered Fireball, closing his eyes.

April had her hands tied up in the back. A couple of outriders pulled her up to place her in the vapor chamber. She was squirming and kicking, trying to buy more time.

"Get in here, human! Stop fighting! Ouch!" one outrider shouted. She managed to kick him in the stomach with her foot. She was wearing high heels... The outrider fell down, struggling and contorting.

"Oh, you incompetents! I'll do it myself!" Nemisis took April by the neck with his robotic claw and pushed her into the vapor chamber. She tried to fight back but she had no chance against the cyborg. All she could do is pedal her feet in the air like a ladybug.

"Don't resist, April! There is no one to save you! Saber Rider is dead, he stumbled and fell into my lava pond. Ha-ha-ha-ha!" and he closed the vapor chamber.

"I guess you took the word "stumble" as a metaphor, right Nemisis?" yelled Saber Rider and bounced into the room.

Nemisis turned around: "What... how...?"

"Take this from me, Nemisis! Aaarrgggh!" Saber Rider attacked Nemisis with all his strength. His sword was merciless.

Caspar, the outrider doctor, sneaked behind, while the two were clashing swords. He tried to pull a handle to turn on the vapors in April's chamber.

"Not so far, Caspar!" Jesse interfered.

In an instant, Jesse's squad of former outriders spread out into the room and started firing at Nemisis's soldiers.

"Ugh..." wheezed Caspar. He was a coward. He tried to run away.

"I don't think you are going anywhere!" A few more steps... and Jesse shot him. The outrider fell to the ground and turned human. He tried to run again, but Jesse pulled him by the arm and pushed him back into the room.

"Easy, brave man, you come with us!" Jesse ordered.

Saber Rider was still engaged in the fight with Nemisis. Sparks from the two swords were flying over the room.

 

"Aim for his skull, Saber!" Jesse yelled, while he pulled out an electric lasso and tied Nemisis up. The big cyborg struggled to free himself up. Jesse was using all his force to keep him contained.

A sharp move and Saber Rider's sword pierced through Nemisis' metallic skull. The cyborg fell to the ground.

A screeching sound resonated along the room and the hallways. The hoarse voice of Nemisis started huffing all around, like coming from the ground... His consciousness was still active in the master frame and he was now again reduced to a brain in a computer, stripped of his body. Nevertheless, he was still very dangerous, since he had control over the entire infrastructure.

Jesse opened the vapor chamber and untied April.

"You guys have a talent for timing!" April elegantly surrendered herself into Jesse's arms, while he was pulling her out from the chamber.

"I really thought this would be my last breath!" Fireball exclaimed.

"Jumpin' tumbleweeds, Top Sword, what happened!?" Colt asked while he was having his hands freed by Saber Rider.

"Well, long story short, Jesse saved me and we saved you" said Saber Rider, looking back at Jesse.

April looked up at Jesse, then jumped up in joy and hugged him. He crossed his eyes and pulled a giddy face. He wanted to say something, but all that could come out of his mouth were syllables:

"A... I...am...ha-..."

Everyone was laughing now.

Caspar interrupted...:

"Gentlemen, we are short on time here. Nemisis has probably released his araneae-units."

"What is that?" Colt asked.

"Araneae or arachnids are spiders, in our human language." said Saber Rider. "I've seen them before. They are big nasty spider-robots. Caspar, where did you lock Erkanos and his wife?"

"This way!" he pointed.

They all started running up a narrow corridor.

"Spidery-tumbleweeds! This wacky Nemisis sure has imagination!" Colt was muttering. Suddenly, he turned his head and saw a red-haired lady running next to him.

"Annabelle? Is that you?" Colt was astonished.

"It's me, Colt..."

"But..., you're human now!"

"Yes... indeed, can you believe it?..." and she giggled.

"I'll be damned, wait until I tell Robin about my adventures today! Um, maybe I shouldn't tell her about Annabelle..." Colt said to himself.

Jesse was running alongside April. He didn't want to loose sight of her ever again. He didn't care where they were going now. They might as well be stepping on hot charcoal, he wouldn't feel anything, he was numb like a fire walker and happy as a hummingbird.

"Here are the vapor chambers!" said Caspar. "Or... what's left of them."

They arrived at a large entrance. Colt remembered the chambers from when they were having that "peace" treaty with "ambassador" Blue... Colt threw an angry look at Jesse...

"Nemisis put them in vapor chambers..? Oh no..., it's too late now...!" said Fireball.

"Remember there is the option of shooting them. It will turn them into humans" said Saber Rider.

"They might be too old and die because of the shock, Top Sword," said Fireball.

"It's worth a... shot." said Colt, contemplating his gun.

Saber Rider, with his tactical sense, ordered:

"Only a few of us will go in there. Colt, you come with me. The rest stay here and guard for us, OK?"

"Right, I'll stay here with April, you guys go in!" declared Fireball.

"I'll stay too. Glower, get three more people and go in." said Jesse, pulling April towards him, while smirking at Fireball.

April had a weird feeling... It was an awkward scene to have Fireball and Jesse around her in the same time. But she wasn't feeling offended by Jesse's protective gesture. Somehow, she preferred Jesse's arm around her, rather than Fireball's.

The young Fireball could not believe the scene. He was absolutely taken by surprise by the friendship between April and Jesse. He couldn't deny his own anger and jealousy. Although he really liked Claudia, his pride was being put to test now. He definitely didn't want Jesse to be that guy. He was the last person Fireball would want to see around April. Plus he's such a jerk, how in the world does she like him? But then again, love is unpredictable, and Jesse is charming, just like Saber Rider once said...

"They are here", pointed Caspar to a couple of vapor chambers.

"Let's take them out" ordered Saber Rider.

Colt pushed a button to release the lock to each vapor chamber, then he took position with his gun pointed at Erkanos's chamber.

"Ready?" said Saber Rider.

"We are ready, sir" said Glower while getting ready to shoot, too, if necessary.

Swoosh... The vapor pressure was decreasing in the chambers. Erkanos opened his eyes... Saber Rider gasped - he was expecting to see his eyes lighten up, just like he saw it on other outriders when they activated. Instead, Erkanos's eyes were normal, with pupils and iris.

"Don't shoot unless I say so," whispered Saber Rider to his partners.

He slowly opened the door... Erkanos moved... Everyone's pointer fingers were ready to spring on their triggers. Erkanos looked around with an amazed look and started speaking, with his slow, old voice:

"It worked... My vaccine worked...! Ah!" he noticed everyone was pointing a gun at him. "I mean no harm, Star Sheriffs! Oh, my wife, where are you my dear?"

Saber Rider stretched his eyes at Erkanos in astonishment: "Ha? You didn't turn evil! How is that possible?"

Colt: "He might be tricking us, Top Sword! How do we know he's not playing on us?"

"I don't think so, Colt. He just asked to see his wife. An infected outrider doesn't care about that stuff, they don't have emotions." said Saber Rider.

Erkanos started moving... Saber Rider stretched his hand out to help him get off the chamber.

"Oh, my dear! There you are... Let's see..." Erkanos was in a fever of excitement. He opened the door to his wife's chamber...

"Ah..." She opened her eyes - she wasn't infected either! Her knees were shaking, though. He helped her descend from the chamber. Then he turned around and started speaking:

"We worked together on a vaccine against Nemisis's virus. We tested it on ourselves. We did it, it works! It protected us!" the two old scientists hugged each other.

Caspar started yelling:

"Run! Everyone run! The araneae are here!"

Big spider-like robots entered the big room through one of the doors.

Saber Rider and Colt took the two scientists and flew across the room. The rest of the group was running also.

Fireball started firing at the robots from his hideout: "Quickly, guys! I've got you covered!"

Everyone was now running back the way they came, away from the spiders. But they were very fast and getting closer and closer. Jesse turned around and started firing. It was too late to run. Everyone was engaged in firing at the robots. April took Erkanos and his wife and tried to protect them. Caspar swarmed with them. He was shaking in fear. April looked at him and said: "Don't worry, we'll all get through this fine!" The same moment, a spider grabbed her by her waist with one of its legs and lifted her up in the air.

Jesse, yelling in anger: "No you don't!" and he jumped over the big spider, landed on its head and started piercing its eyes with a knife. He still had the scalpel that he took from the Yuma hospital. April fell out from the robot's clasp. Another robot approached. Jesse jumped fast and grabbed April - they swirled around the room while April was screaming.

"Having fun, April?" he threw her an amorous look.

"Look out!" She pushed him and they rolled together a few more feet away. The spider was chasing them, trying to pierce them with a sharp leg.

Fireball jumped in and shot the spider's head. The ugly beast fell down.

"You owe me, bud!" Fireball glanced at Jesse.

"Fireball, watch out!" Colt jumped and shot another spider.

Suddenly, the end of the tunnel turned all black. More and more spiders were pouring from all directions. They were surrounded from both sides. Hundreds of spiders were coming... They had sharp steel fangs and ugly-looking legs.

"Chums, we are running low on ammo. We have to find another solution. We can't keep fighting them, we are outnumbered!"

"I can see, that, Top Sword!" Colt exclaimed. "This is getting ridiculous! Say again, Jesse, these handsome gents used to be your friends?"

"Yeah, he was having dinner with them every night!" Fireball cut in.

"Keep joking, Star-Clowns!" Jesse gnashed his teeth. This was his pet peeve: Star Sheriffs laughing at him while he was around April. He felt their bullying like a punch in his stomach.

Saber Rider, while throwing his sword at an approaching spider: "Friends, no time to joke now! Let's get outta' here alive!"

Glower was bleeding... His arm was injured. A spider grabbed him by his leg and dragged him along the corridor. Annabelle gasped. She jumped after him. A few shots, the spider fell down and he was released. She lifted him and they ran back to the rest of the team. Glower was confused... Someone helped him... Someone from his own kind... That's what humans do, they help each other!...

The situation was becoming critical. The araneae were closing in on them...

"HA-HA-HAAA!" Nemisis's voice resounded across the tunnels... "You are all mine!" There is no escape for you, Star Sheriffs! And you, Jesse, you are such a fool! You fell right back into my trap!"

Suddenly, an electric spark passed through the tunnel. The lights went off...

"Oh, shucks! This is the last thing we needed, to fight these varmints in the darkness." sighed Colt.

"We have headlamps, Colt!" announced Saber Rider. "Turn it on"

"Hey, it's awfully quiet. What happened to the spiders? There's no sound!"

He turned his headlamp on: all the spiders were stopped in a frozen pose. No movement. What a creepy view!

All of a sudden, a sound from above. A hatch in the ceiling opened up. They all raised their eyes and gasped. In the light of the headlamps, two faces showed up: Captain Hikari and Prince Roland!

"You guys needed some help...?" said Prince Roland.

"A ladder would be a good idea, right?" Hikari added. He dropped a rope ladder down for them.

"Dad! I can't believe it!" Fireball cried out. "You turned these creepy-crawlers off?"

"Yes, hurry up, they might come back on, we don't have much time"

Everyone rushed up the ladder, one by one. Saber Rider waited until they all climbed up, then he proceeded up, too. The same moment, one of the creatures turned on and rushed towards him. Hikari and Prince Roland pulled up the ladder quickly and closed the metal hatch behind. Whew! Everyone made it...

"This way out!" announced Hikari. "We can make it, people, let's move! I faulted the electric system, but Nemisis might have a way around it. He's a smart evil scientist, he'll figure it out for sure."

"Dad, how..."

"Fireball, I spent some time in these bunkers in the past few weeks since I got out of the suspended animation. I did my homework..."

"You're my hero, dad! I love you!" Fireball burst into tears.

"Pfff..." Jesse laughed. "What a sucker!..."

Fireball looked back at Jesse in anger. These two guys weren't going to become friends too soon.

"We have good news for you, Jesse! Our team of doctors is close to figuring out a way to treat you," interrupted Hikari.

"Oh, excellent! I would like to participate in the research!" Erkanos joined the discussion.

Jesse didn't reply. He was a little skeptical now. After he saw the advantages of having the virus, he was now kind of reluctant to getting rid of it. He could survive with no oxygen..., jump dimensions... Hm, the only thing he didn't like was the risk of getting captured by Nemisis. But he could figure that out somehow, like he always did...

They finally arrived outside. Ramrod's shape was projecting against the dark horizon.

Boom! A big blast fell close to them. An outrider ship was shooting from above. Colt started firing back. More ships started coming.

"Gotta' make it to Ramrod!" Colt screamed. "Come on, people, let's run this way!"

"Oh, no! Our ships have been destroyed!" exclaimed Prince Roland. Indeed, his ship and Hikari's ship have been blasted earlier. Smoke was coming out of them.

"You'll have to come with us! Let's go!" Saber Rider yelled, among the loud sounds of bombs falling from above.

The group of fugitives was running through a dark field, rolling and shooting up towards the enemy ships. Colt got a few of them. Explosions in the sky...

"Yoo-hoo! That's it, bushwackers, bite the dust!" Colt expressed his contentment.

Finally, after a treacherous run, the group arrived at Ramrod. They ran up the stairs and got inside... Saber Rider looked back at the group and counted... about 30 former outriders. He turned around and said:

"Jesse, these are your men, you stay here and... Whaaaatt? Where is Jesse?"

Everyone gasped. They looked around and...

"April is gone too!" cried Colt.

"That rascal!... Ugh... He tricked us again!" Fireball yelled.

The sound of an engine came from outside. A ship took off the planet. It was Eagle's ship..., the one that Jesse came with.

"You're not going anywhere, you sleazy varmint!" Colt rushed up towards the control room.

Saber Rider, Fireball and Hikari rushed up too. Prince Roland remained in the hangar room, along with Erkanos, his wife and the group of former outriders. Glower's arm was still bleeding. Roland took a piece of scarf and wrapped it around his hand: "You'll be fine, it's just a superficial wound." Glower was not used to feeling pain the way humans do.

Ramrod took off in a rush. A few shots and the outrider ships attacking them got blasted away. Now it was time to chase Jesse.

Fireball opened a channel:

"Jesse, we're right behind you, don't even think you are going to get away this time!"

No answer from Jesse...

 

* * *

Will the Star Sheriffs be able to chase down Jesse? What will happen to April? Find out in our next exciting adventure!

 

Save


	7. Episode 59 - A New Beginning

 

Back on Yuma...

Commander Eagle was almost in a state of panic. He had no news back from the Star Sheriff team. They were supposed to be back already by now and no sign of them. He was thinking of asking other Star Sheriff teams, from other sectors, to intervene.

His phone started ringing...

"Hello. Doctor Guerino, yes. No news yet. I was thinking... Oh, yes, go ahead. Yes... Hm. OK... So..., you are saying that if... Oh, I see... interesting..."

Dr Guerino's voice sounded so excited. According to his accounts, he was making huge progress on unlocking the  
secrets of the virus. But what was the use, if the subject of his research was missing in action?

From behind the telephone, Guerino's voice said:

"So, Commander Eagle, do you know of anyone dear to him? Does he have a sweetheart of his own?"

"I... I don't know, doctor. I really don't ... Look, sorry my team is paging me, I have to go. Please keep me posted, talk to you soon, bye."

On the other line, General White Hawk was paging Commander Eagle.

"Commander. No news yet?"

"I'm afraid not, General..." Eagle sighed.

"I am ready to send my southern sector team of Star Sheriffs. They are ready to go, at my orders, at any time."

"Thank you, General. I will decide shortly and I will let you know."

"Any time, Commander Eagle. Talk soon."

Eagle's heart was racing... Guerino's news were disturbing, scary and ... scary...! A sweetheart of his own? Yeah, Jesse does love someone. His daughter! But he's not gonna let Guerino know all that. That would be too much! Ugh, crazy scientists, with their farcical ideas!

 

* * *

"Well now, April, where should we go...?" Jesse was tapping on his keyboard, while confidently leaning against the back of his chair.

"We are all going home, Jesse, where you belong, too." April replied. She was sitting on the co-pilot chair, her legs crossed, looking with an attitude at Jesse.

J: "Is that so? Do you think I want to see Fireball's face every day? Oh man, that would ruin my appetite."

"Jesse, come in." Saber Rider called on the intercom.

"Jesse, you ratty pest, wait until I get to you!" Colt's angry voice came through the intercom.

"Go eat a cactus, Colt! Your voice would sound much better after that!" Jesse smacked his lips and shut off the intercom. "First and foremost, let's jump dimensions, shall we?"

He pushed some buttons on his board and pulled the accelerator. The ship turned towards a wormhole and sped up into it. Ramrod followed their course.

Stars and bright lights started spinning around them. April felt that this inter-dimensional travel was like a passage into an unknown future, and that something about her life was about to change. There was a power greater than herself that was pulling them both into an undisclosed direction in life. She leaned back into her seat and closed her eyes... "Let go, April..." she thought. Her father's ship was like a sanctuary for her. She grew up with her father piloting this ship, and herself sitting on this chair, looking up at him as her hero and protector. And now, instead of her father, Jesse Blue was navigating it through strands of time...

After a while, the two ships exited the wormhole. Jesse looked at his radar screen... Of course, Ramrod was still behind them...

"So..." Jesse exhaling. "Let's find a beautiful place to go to..." He tried typing in some coordinates.

"Hey, what?" Tap-tap-tap! Nothing, the keyboard was not responding. "It's locked! Heeey!"

April was not looking at him. Her hand was on the control panel, covering a button.

"Oh... you pretty genius... stop playing with me now..." Jesse was half annoyed, half amused. "This is not a game, April!"

He stood up and came towards her. She stood up, also, with a cheeky smile.

A few steps and he was near her. She was facing him now, with her back to the control panel. Her hand was still covering the button. He tried to lift it. She pushed his hand away.

J, smiling: "Come on, April, you know you can't win. I'm much stronger than you."

A, this time with a serious face: "We are going home, Jesse, no matter what."

J, still amused: "Oh, yeah? What are you planning to do, now? Pretend you are gonna pass out again, to make me say "please"?" He leaned over and tried to push her hand away from the button. "I can be ruthless, you know..." and he slowly got closer to her.

Her breath was close to his lips. He suddenly felt a rush of heat coming up his body. His hands slowly touched her waist...

A jolt of fear pierced through her chest. Butterflies in her stomach... She remembered some words from old training: "Go for it, even if you feel the fear!"

But this wasn't about fear of fighting anymore. She was not afraid to fight Jesse. This was something else... A different kind of fear, the same one that she felt when she first met him... She closed her eyes... and leaned forward...

He was not expecting that!... A jolt of heat rushed through his lips and into his body... The heat burst flashed down through his heart, spreading in all directions... The ceiling was spinning...

Here they were, two old enemies, in a timeless kiss...

 

 

  
Her father's ship ship was flying fast, among stars and planets... She wrapped her arms around his neck, in a deeper embrace.

Suddenly, April's hands twitched, shocked from an electric spark. Jesse's skin was shooting flashes of shocks... His whole body started lighting up in a white glowing light.

"Jesse!" What's going on with you, Jesse?!"

He fell on his back and landed on her chair, unconscious. The electric white glow kept coming out of his body.

April opened up the intercom.

"Saber, Fireball, Colt, come in!" her voice was trembling.

"Hey, I thought you kidnapped Jesse and ran away with him!" Fireball picked up the call.

"Finally you guys answered! Set your course to Yuma!" Saber Rider added.

"Will do, Saber, after you'll help me on this one!" and she turned the screen towards Jesse.

"Jumpin' tumbleweeds! April, what'd ya' do to him this time?!" Colt grimaced.

"Doesn't matter now, I just don't know what to do..." she whined... "What if he dies...?"

"Big deal, we lose another outlaw!" Fireball laughed. "Oops, sorry April, I mean... no, he's gonna be okay..."

"Lay him horizontally, April!" suggested Saber Rider.

She pushed down the chair's seat back.

"He is still glowing..." she said.

Colt, gazing at the screen: "He looks like he's about to turn..., like you know, when outriders go back to their dimension..."

A: "Except that their color is red or green when they turn... His is white..."

"Star Sheriffs!" Eagle's face popped on the screen.

"Daddy!" April jumped.

"April, your course is wrong. Correct your course... What? Jesse? What did you guys do?..."

"Daddy, he has some sort of stroke or seizure... I'm really worried..."

Eagle paused for a moment with a stunned face, scratched his head, then said in a flustered voice:

"He'll be fine, I promise you April. Now change your course or you're going to head straight into a sun."

"Right now, daddy, I'm on it." She typed in the new coordinates. "How do you know he'll be fine?"

"We'll talk about this at home. Doctor Guerino can explain everything." Eagle winked at her and waved goodbye.

"What has doctor Guerino to do with this? And why is my daddy winking at me?" she was asking herself. "He's not the kind of person to wink, especially on the job..."

"So, again April, how did he end up glowing like a Christmas light?" Colt reopened the intercom.

"Oh Colt, you're so nosy!" April blushed.

Colt: "Well, it seems that you have a magical effect on him. He either stumbles in front of everybody, passes out, glows like a light bulb..."

Saber Rider: "Colt, leave the lady alone, can't you see she blushed all the way to us through the screen? Let's watch a movie or something until we get home, alright?"

Fireball: "Yeah, we could watch some cartoons, maybe those ones with the Star Sheriffs. What do you say, bud?"

Everyone was laughing.

 

* * *

Finally landing on Yuma... All the Cavalry Command high rank officers were aligned to salute the incoming ships.

Also, a lot of ambulances, ready to take on the wounded.

April's ship landed first. Ramrod followed.

She opened the hatch to the ship and came out. She rushed out to her father and hugged him.

"Daddy! I'm home! I love you, daddy!"

"April, I love you too, my little girl!"

"Quick, he's really sick, let's get him out!" she rushed her father to the ship. They both went in. The ambulance came with a stretcher and paramedics went inside.

"Easy, boys, take him out slowly, OK?" April was instructing the guys from the ambulance.

Doctor Guerino was there too. He checked Jesse's vital signs and said: "He is going to be fine. It might take a while for him to recover. We'll run bloodwork, but this white glow is a good sign."

April exhaled in relief. As they were taking Jesse out to the ambulance, April rushed to catch doctor Guerino.

"Doctor, thank you! I am so grateful for all your help!"

"My help? I didn't do anything, Miss Eagle... I am only offering symptomatic care to a treatment that is already complete."

"Complete? What do you mean?"

Doctor Guerino cleared his throat:

"Ahem... Miss Eagle... have you ever read the story of the Frog Prince?"

April nodded and replied in a shy voice: "Yes, doctor, I've read it..."

"Well, then, Princess April Eagle, you know exactly how you turned the frog back into a Prince, right?" doctor Guerino looked at her over his glasses.

"Please don't tell anyone... I'm so embarrassed..." April was all red.

"My lips are sealed, Miss Eagle." and he shook her hand.

People started coming out from Ramrod also. Doctor Guerino headed towards them, to meet his fellow outrider scientists. He didn't want to miss a beat from this occasion.

This time formalities had to be postponed. There were injured people inside and safety was the number one priority. Ambulances were swarming everywhere.

"Colt!" a blonde lady in high heels jumped from the welcoming crowd and ran towards Ramrod.

"Robin?" Colt was taken by surprise.

She jumped and hugged him. "I'm so happy you are home, Colt! I cooked a special dinner, everyone is invited!"

"Oh, Robin, you're the best! I'm so hungry I could eat a whole cactus now. Actually,... wild boar will suffice." (he just remembered that Jesse wished him to eat a cactus and he didn't want to fulfill his prophecy).

"Easy, lads! Glower, let's head to that ambulance, shall we?" Saber Rider pointed to a car with blinking red lights. Annabelle was next to them. Glower was leaning on her shoulder. They passed by Colt and Robin.

"Woo-hoo, love is in the air..." Colt exclaimed, winking at Annabelle.

"You know her, Colt?" Robin asked with a curious face.

"Well, um... sort of..." He scratched his head. "She was my enemy, until she switched teams..."

"You convinced her?" Robin continued.

"Convince is kind of a ... nice word..." and he glanced at his gun.

"You cowboys solve everything with guns!" Robin concluded.

"Fireball! Fireball!" a voice from behind was resonating.

"Heeey, happy kid! How are you?" Fireball called out.

Claudia stopped in front of Fireball. A gust of wind blew her long black hair around.

"Welcome back, champion!" said Claudia. She didn't know if she should go and hug him, or just wait for his reaction first.

He came straight to her, with no hesitation.

"That's what I call a well deserved hug, race boy!" Colt chuckled and gently pushed Fireball's shoulder.

"Hey, mind your own department, bud!" Fireball pushed back. "Don't bother with him, Claudia. He's incurable."

"Has anyone seen Saber Rider?" asked a worried voice from behind.

"Yes, Sincia. He was helping some former bushwackers get to the ambulance." Colt replied.

"I don't see him, where is he now?" Sincia complained. "Are you sure he came back with you?"

"Ma'am, as clear as the sky, he was next to me inside Ramrod." Colt was reassuring her. "He didn't run with any Outrider lady, don't worry." giggled Colt.

"Oh, Colt, you really have to be so full of jokes today? Can't you see she is so anxious?" argued Robin. "Wow, hold on Sincia, a car is coming, watch out!"

Sincia was so lightheaded that she completely forgot that cars and ambulances were everywhere around, coming and going, to take all the newcomers to the hospital and to the Cavalry Command Center. She just started walking in front of an incoming vehicle.

"Where do you think you are going, young lady?" Saber Rider popped out of nowhere. He activated his jet pack and flew to her rescue.

"Whooow, Saber Rider!" Sincia screamed. They swirled up in the air, while the ambulance screeched the breaks. It was carrying a few former outriders. Bustling sounds came from inside the van.

"Sorry, lads!" Saber Rider shouted.

"Oh, sorry, I'm so sorry... Oh, Saber Rider...!" Sincia exclaimed. She was so happy that he came home unharmed. "I just had a terrible nightmare last night..."

"Oh, what was it about?" Saber Rider asked, with a lingering look.

"I dreamed that... that you were captured by a dark creature and..."

She didn't have time to say any more words. He was kissing her, while he was still flying his jet pack above the crowd. They were spinning up into the skies.

A ripple of applause came from underneath. Everyone was watching.

"Woo-hoo, Top Sword, I call that a high-level kiss!" Colt shouted up to Saber Rider.

"What's going on? I wanna' see!" one of the former outriders popped his head out of an open ambulance and looked up.

"I'm afraid newborns have to wait until they grow up for this kind of show." Colt tried to push the guy inside the ambulance.

Suddenly a female voice resonated: "Norio...? Norio Hikari!"

Everyone held their breath...

"Mom...?" shouted Fireball. "You are here already!"

Fireball's mother had recently flown to Yuma, from her home planet, Akita. It was a very distant planet on the New Frontier Colony. She started the trip the same day she heard the news about her husband's comeback. Her ship had arrived there just a few hours before Ramrod.

"Norio!" She was running towards her husband. They stopped, a few feet away from each other. Tears started coming from their eyes. "You are unchanged, my dear...!" she whispered.

"I have so many things to tell you... I missed you every day, I never stopped hoping." she continued.

"You are as beautiful as on our first day, my darling!" he hugged her.

Everyone was wiping the corner of their eyes.

Fireball held Claudia's hand tight. Finally, his family was reunited. She looked at him and they both smiled. It was all real, yes...

King Jarray and his son Prince Roland were also emotional. What a glorious day!

Erkanos and his wife cuddled together. She hadn't seen so many happy faces in a long, long time.

Doctor Guerino spotted the person he believed to be his fellow Outrider colleague.

"You must be doctor Caspar, right?"

"Yes, indeed." he quickly wiped a tear in a corner of his eye. "Pleased to meet you."

"I'm doctor Guerino. A pleasure to meet you too."

A few yards away, Robin turned towards Colt and his friends around them. "Well, what do you guys say about a big

family dinner tonight?"

"I'm up for it." said Claudia.

"Sure, why not?" everyone else nodded.

 

* * *

A few hours later:

The hospital decided to put Jesse in a negative pressure isolation chamber, where no potential virus could escape and contaminate others. They had April tested. Results came out negative. She was virus-free.

All the former outriders were also clear of the virus. What a medical mystery!

Erkanos and his wife didn't have the virus either... Their bloodworks were so different though... Like they've never seen before... Dr Guerino was so intrigued by their different molecular structure...

Doctor Caspar, Dr Guerino, Erkanos and his wife all went into an office.

Dr Guerino: "As you can see, this is how far I've reached with my medical studies on Jesse... Mr. and Mrs. Erkanos, your study on the virus is a breakthrough. I managed to follow the path you opened. I've inferred that since this virus is annihilated by intense feelings of... love, then there must be more than one neurochemical implicated in the process. I discovered that not only serotonin is involved in clearing up the virus, but also dopamine and epinephrine and a few other neurotransmitters. Together, they have an intense inhibiting effect on the virus replication and behavior. So I did a little simulation in vitro with all the neurotransmitters implicated in the feelings of love... and I came up with similar results to what just happened to Jesse - the experimental dish started glowing this white light, then the virus disappeared. Amazing, isn't it?"

Dr Caspar commented:  
"I personally worked on designing this virus along with Nemisis..."

Dr Guerino gasped...

Dr Caspar continued: "It's something I am not proud of, now. We never even thought of finding a cure and we hoped there was none. But now I am glad there is one. "

Erkanos intervened: "Yes... he was part of the evil scientist team... But now he is released from the spell. He can speak with a free mind and he can give us a lot of information."

Dr Caspar: "I have a lot things to share. I'm sure Nemisis wants me eliminated now."

Dr Guerino: "Indeed, and your presence here might put in danger the entire hospital. But I will speak with Commander Eagle and we will have you transferred to a safe location."

"Oh, dear" sighed Erkanos's wife. "When are we going to get rid of this evil Nemisis?"

"Soon, madam..." Caspar replied.

 

* * *

April was leaning with her palms against the glass window, overlooking into Jesse's room.

Colt, Saber Rider and Fireball were sitting on a bench on the hallway.

"I've never seen April like this." Colt commented, looking at April while she was gazing at Jesse. He was lying in bed inside the sealed room.

"Hey, the white glow fades off!" April shouted. "Nurse, come and see!"

A nurse rushed to take a look. She ran back to Dr Guerino's office. "Doctor, come quickly!"

Dr Guerino was still in the room with the Erkanos couple and Dr Caspar. They all came out in a rush.

"He's turning back to normal!" April exclaimed.

A team of nurses went inside to check up on him. He was still in a coma. They took some blood samples.

April was fidgeting.

"Relax, April, he'll be just fine." Fireball looked at her with a funny smile.

After a while, the doctor came out holding a clipboard. He called April aside. Her pulse was racing. What if he tells her that Jesse still has the virus?

"Miss Eagle..." started Dr Guerino, taking a deep breath. "I have good news and bad news..."

"Oh-oh, spill the news, doctor!" April was very anxious to find out.

"Good news is that he is virus free."

"Yeesss!" April jumped and hugged the doctor.

"Hold tight now, miss Eagle. He might not remember everything."

April: "Meaning...?"

Dr G: "He might have a temporary or a permanent memory lapse. We'll see what he'll remember. In the meantime, if you want to visit him in the room, he is officially available for visitation."

She rushed into the room. He was still unconscious in bed. Her father showed up from behind.

"Daddy, he is human again!" April whispered.

"Yes, April, I heard." Commander Eagle was just returning from the Command Office, where he had a briefing with General White Hawk.

"He's moving!" Saber Rider noticed.

"Whooow"... they all gathered around him...

Jesse's breath started getting more deep. He opened his eyes and looked straight up. All around him, curious faces were gazing at him.

He yawned and stretched. He felt that something was odd. Why are all the Star Sheriffs gathered around him?

He started talking:

"I just had the wildest dream..."

April raised her eyebrows: "Oh, what did you dream about?"

J: "It's so long and complicated..." then he realized he was in a hospital room. "Whoow, wait a minute. Why am I here?" He noticed he had some IV infusions connected to his arm. "Yuck!" he pulled all of them out in terror.

A nurse rushed into the room: "Sir, leave them in place, please."

Dr Guerino entered the room, too: "Let him do what he feels like."

"A doctor? Was I hurt?" Jesse wondered. He pulled the sheet covers away, just to make sure he didn't have any major body injuries. "Whew," he exhaled in relief. He seemed to be unharmed.

"April, why am I in a hospital?" he asked.

"It's a long story, Jesse... Hey, you remember my name!" she replied, happy that his memory was not affected.

J: "Of course I do, you're my karate teacher!"

A: "I was, but a long time ago..."

J: "More like yesterday, you mean..."

Everyone gasped. Colt was not convinced though. He thought that Jesse was faking it.

"What was your dream about, Jesse?" Saber Rider asked.

J: "I dreamed that I was part of the Outrider team... and I was fighting against you... Pff, so ridiculous, why would I ever do that?"

Saber Rider: "Oh, and what happened in your dream?"

J: "I had a lot of adventures and I did a lot of mischief, but you guys won all the time... And in the end you guys found out that I had a virus implanted by the supreme leader of the outriders, Nemisis... " He held his head in his palms, like he had a headache... "Ugh..., what a silly dream! Apparently, your presumably dead father saved me, Fireball..." He raised his eyes... Prince Roland and Hikari were just entering the room, also.

"Yikes!" Jesse jumped from his bed in disbelief. He looked at them like he just saw a ghost.

Colt was touching his revolver. He was ready for anything. Jesse was not his favorite character, for sure.

"Hey, Jesse... Calm down, we can explain everything..." April came and grabbed his arm.

He looked at her with a long gaze. "What is going on, April?" he asked in hesitance.

"I will tell you everything; Colt, stop, let me talk to Jesse!..." said April, while Colt was trying to punch a fist at him.

"Sorry to break the news, Jesse, but your dream was real." Fireball intervened. He wanted to feel the satisfaction of ruining Jesse's bubble of innocence.

"Fireball..." Eagle tried to stop him from saying more.

"It's absolutely true, this slitherin' bandit is a traitor and he deserves to know it." Colt gnashed his teeth.

Jesse opened his eyes wide: "But I didn't do all those things, how could I do such abominations? I would never hurt anyone! I was trained here, at the Cavalry Command, in the spirit of courage, hope and generosity...!" He looked at April. She was so beautiful... His eyes were asking for a sign of acknowledgement from her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes...

"Generosity my foot! You're just a liar and a traitor!" Colt pushed himself forward and threw a punch at Jesse. He fell back on his bed with a startled look.

"That's right, I don't buy into your theater play either!" Fireball rushed to pin down Jesse.

"Easy, mavericks!" Eagle jumped from behind, to stop the fight. Hikari, Saber Rider and Prince Roland came in to help stop the two angry Star Sheriffs.

"Dad, let me go, you don't understand!" Fireball was shouting, while Hikari was trying to contain his angry son.

"Fireball, cool down. You need to control yourself." shouted Hikari.

Meanwhile, Colt was wrestling with Saber Rider and Prince Roland: "Top Sword, he rattled your brain too? This guy is lying to us!"

SR: "Easy, Colt, you're not making justice with a fist here! We are civilized people!"

"I'll be civilized on ma' mother's grave!" Colt pulled his arm from Saber Rider's grip.

Fireball started shouting, while his father and Eagle were pulling him away: "April, he is charming you, don't listen to him. He is playing us all."

"AAALRIGHT EVERYONE! No more than 2 visitors in the room at a time! HOSPITAL RULES!" Doctor Guerino was displeased with the tense situation. He and a few nurses started pushing everyone out of the room. "Out, now, everyone out! We've got work to do on him, and after that, no more than 2 people inside."

"Don't worry, you varmint, I'll wait my turn and pay you a visit like you've never seen!" Colt shouted as he was being escorted out of the room.

"You're definitely not paying him any visits too soon," doctor Guerino pushed him out of the room.

"Hey, doctor, get your hands off me!" Colt shouted.

Eagle felt very ashamed of the situation. "My apologies, Doctor..."

Dr Guerino turned his head away and waved his hand in a superior discontent: "We'll discuss later, Commander Eagle. Let me do my job now."

He surely knew how to exert his medical authority.

 

* * *

"Look what you've done, you gonzos!" April started talking.

"You really like this guy, April? Really?" Fireball was looking at her in anger.

"Fireball, we are a team, we are supposed to work together. Don't let anger take over." Saber Rider was trying to tame him.

"He IS back, guys, you don't understand! HE IS FINALLY back and he will fight on our side!" April clenched her fists.

"Oh, yeah, how come you're so sure about that? Is there something we don't know?" Fireball asked.

"Doctor Guerino said he is virus-free. He explained to me why and how it was possible." April replied.

"How was it possible? I'd like to know that myself, maybe someday I'll be buddies with Jesse and we'll go jump the rope together..." Fireball puffed and crossed his eyes.

"Yeah, quite so. Did you give him some cactus juice and threw a shaman spell on him?", Colt added.

"Well... I can't really give you all the details..." April tried to back out.

"And why is that? Something you don't want to share with your best friends?" Fireball was pushing it.

She didn't want to tell Fireball that she kissed Jesse. Obviously, she didn't want to hurt his feelings. Saber Rider's curious look from behind Fireball's shoulder was making her feel even more embarrassed now.

"Miss Eagle," a voice from behind stopped the conversation.

April sighed in relief. Someone is rescuing her.

"Yes, I'm here."

"Doctor Guerino would like to speak with you."

April left the three Star Sheriffs scratching their heads.

 

* * *

"Miss Eagle, please come in." Dr Guerino invited her.

A: "Thank you, doctor."

He started speaking in a kind voice: "We believe it is best for Jesse to talk to you first, before everyone else. The encounter he had with all of you in the same time was kind of a ... fiasco."

A: "It sure was... doctor." she chuckled. "I'll talk to him!"

Dr G: "Wait, before you go in, I just want to make you aware that he is still in a fragile state and anything negative can affect his mood. Please don't mention to him anything about trials, court martial or anything like that."

A: "What? Court martial?"

Dr G: "Well, didn't your father tell you?"

A: "He did, I mean, a while ago, but that was when he was still under the virus spell. But now he is one of us, a good fellow. Why...?"

Dr G: "Miss Eagle, these are the laws, we can't change them. I'm sure he will be alright, but until then, just don't mention anything right now. Just try to bring back his memories and don't lean on the dark side. Keep it light, OK?"

A: "Gotcha!" she smiled.

Dr G: "He is in the MRI room now. After we finish all the tests, we'll let you talk to him."

 

* * *

Eagle was still in the hospital, talking to Erkanos and Dr Caspar. April approached him.

A: "Dad, can we talk for a moment?"

E: "Sure, April, what is it? Excuse me, gentlemen." He went with April down the corridor.

A: "What is going to happen to Jesse now?"

E: "I don't know yet, April. We'll see. Do you worry about him?..."

A: "Well, I just want to see if you still want to court-martial him..."

E: "April, what I want is different than what is required by the law. Plus, it's not only my decision, there will be a judge, an appointed counsel and a panel of jury officers... and most probably I won't be part of it."

A: "Oh, and why won't you?"

E: "I might be biased, because of you..."

A: "Because of me...? Why?"

E: "You are romantically involved with him and this changes everything."

She covered her face in shyness.

"You're still my little girl, April. Everything will be alright," he cuddled her at his chest.

April, raising her watery eyes: "So, doctor Guerino told you...?"

Eagle: "Before you guys came back from the vapor zone, he told me what SHOULD happen in order for Jesse to completely turn back into a human. And it happened! The odds of someone else kissing Jesse were pretty slim, right?" He smiled at her with a fatherly face.

A: "Oh daddy..." she looked down in shame.

"Miss Eagle? Please," a nurse interrupted them. She opened the door for April to go into Jesse's room.

April went in. He was standing up, next to the window, looking out. She closed the door and leaned against it.

 

* * *

If you are curious to find out what Jesse discussed with April, follow us on the next episode! Will Jesse have to face a court-martial? More adventures are coming! Nemisis is still out there, so stay tuned!


	8. Episode 60 - Pardon Me

 

"Booring excuses... Get your act together and start working! I will not tolerate more vapor-laziness! Put those humans back to work!"

A squeaky voice in the room replied:

"But your Nastiness, they are all very tired, I don't know how much I can squeeze from them. That last renegade unit was a big effort."

"More boring excuses... It must take a lot of practice to be that boring... Pick up the pace, idiots! I don't care about your lame explanations. Get some of the losers that got shot by the Star Sheriffs and put them in the human compound."

"But sir, they used to be our own kind, we can't mix them with humans..."

"Silence! You question my judgement one more time and you end up where you came from! In a vapor chamber! Now move your slacking ship to planet Grunge and start working!"

The squeaky voiced Outrider gulped. It was Grimace, one of Nemisis's adjutants. He left the room in a hurry and headed towards his ship.

"Move, move!" a few soldiers were pushing some humans towards Grimace's ship. They were former outrider soldiers, that were had been recently shot by the Star Sheriffs and turned into humans. They had run away from the Star Sheriffs because they got scared in the panic of the moment, so they had gotten separated from the rest of their pals. Grimace got all of them boarded into the big aircraft.

Grimace took off in a rush. His ship passed through a cloud of space dust among some planets and ventured deeper into the abyss. After a while, a dark planet appeared in front of him. He landed his ship on a small runway and got out.

He pushed all the prisoners out and one of his soldiers directed them into an underground bunker. Grimace went to a different entrance.

"Ugh, no more lights here. I guess Nemisis is saving power now again? This old planet is so much worse than our own."

The Star Sheriffs didn't know about the existence of this planet in the vapor zone. The Outriders were concealing their satellite offices well. Well, chums, I guess Outriders were indeed holding a lot of aces in their sleeves.

He pushed a red button that was glowing in the darkness. An elevator door opened. He went in. The elevator went down a few levels. Then the doors opened again. In front of him was a small chamber, with just a chair and a desk. He lifted the chair and moved the desk, then leaned over and pressed on the floor with his palm. A fingerprint scanner activated.

Suddenly, the wall behind him moved. A dark corridor behind the wall.

"Hm... no lights here either. Are we scarce on energy again? I thought Nemisis just processed another therrium boulder. We were supposed to have plenty of energy... I guess I'll have to use my flashlight."

He arrived at the end of the corridor and pushed another red button. More doors opened. He passed through a maze of hallways and rooms, then finally arrived at a control room, overlooking a huge underground manufacturing plant. A massive renegade unit was being worked on. Behind it, an ugly looking cyborg unit was in process of being activated. It was Nemisis's cyborg body, being repaired. They were putting the final touches on the brain part, that had been destroyed by Saber Rider.

Grimace pulled a microphone and started barking into it: "Attention, fleshlings! Speed up the pace! If you don't start pulling your weight, we will have to execute you, one by one! We have fresh new recruits coming in, so we can replace you at any time!"

A few Outriders in brown suits hustled some of the workers and pushed them with their guns.

"And... if you try to revolt again, we'll snap you as toothpicks!" Grimace finished his speech.

Indeed, there were lots of humans inside this big factory. But where did they come from? How where they brought here?

This was the central production center, where Nemisis was building his ugliest renegade units. The last one that the Star Sheriffs encountered, on Alamo moon, had been built here.

"New recruits? Oh my...!" a lady worker whispered, while she was wiping her forehead.

"I wonder where they are coming from..." another man wondered, while he was soldering some metal parts.

"I just hope they don't come from my planet, I don't want more Outrider attacks there. Every time they attacked us, they took more people..."

"Shut up and work, fleshling!" and Outrider interrupted them.

Grimace was content. His new renegade unit was growing under his eyes. He left the room and headed upstairs. On his way back, he met commander Patch. He was directing the new group of humans to another area underground.

G: "Patch, what brings you here?"

P: "I have orders from Nemisis to start working on more therrium."

G: "So we'll have more lights on the hallways after that?"

P: "Is that the dumbest worry your tiny brain can come up with today, Grimace? I have bigger problems, nut-head! Nemisis wants to invade the fleshlings again. We lost Caspar and we can't let them interrogate him, or he will tell them all our secrets. We have to eliminate Caspar as soon as possible, which means I have to produce a lot of fuel to move the renegade unit by tomorrow. Move, filthy humans! It's so disgusting, it makes me puke just thinking that they were playing on our team yesterday and now they're these annoying humans."

G: "Yeah, well, it can happen to us, too, Patch! Better watch out, those Star Sheriffs are nasty."

P: "I know what I'm doing, Grimace, but you'd better watch your butt, coz' I'm not lookin' after you! Oh, and look out for those rebels, we had to put a few under sedation, they were really starting a revolt, we almost lost control over them."

 

* * *

In the Yuma hospital, April was inside Jesse's room, leaning against the door, looking at him, across the room. She wanted to start saying something, but she didn't know where to begin.

He turned around and looked at her.

J: "So it's all true... I'm a traitor and a rattlesnake..."

A: "You are not, Jesse. It's not your fault..."

J: "Who's fault is it, then? Your friends want my head very badly."

A: "I'll talk to them, I'll explain what happened to you and how you came back."

J: "How DID I come back?"

A: "Oh, I thought you remember..."

J: "It's all like a dream, although I remember I was getting some painful serotonin shots from an old guy... How did I get treated in the end?"

A: "What's the most recent thing you remember from your... "dream"?"

J: "I remember we were running away from some spider robots, and then we got out in the open and I took you in my arms and flew away with you."

A: "And then...?"

J: "Then I remember vaguely how we headed towards the wormhole to jump dimensions and then... pffff..." he sighed "I... don't remember anything after that..."

Moment of silence. He was looking down, trying to remember. He raised his eyes and looked at her. His eyebrows were asking for an answer.

April looked at him for a few seconds, then looked away in shyness. She was somehow happy that he didn't remember.

She moved away from the door and took a pen from a table. She started playing with the pen in a nervous gesture. He slowly touched her hand and took her pen away.

J: "What did you do to me, April?"

April started to giggle. "I put a spell on you, hee-hee!"

"Hey, seriously, April, what happened to me there?"

"It's a mystery, Jesse," she laughed.

J: "I'd like to solve this mystery..." and he took her hand and slowly drew a heart on her palm, with the pen.

Butterflies again in her stomach... She raised her eyes up to him: "If you promise you won't tell anyone..."

J: "I won't, I promise!"

A: "Close your eyes."

He closed his eyes. But quickly opened them, in curiosity.

A: "Not playing anymore, I can't trust you."

J: "C'mon, I want to play. I promise I won't open them."

She took her blue scarf that she had around her waist and tied his eyes. She chuckled.

The rest... chums..., we can only imagine ;)

 

* * *

The same evening, at Robin's place.

A big long table, with lots of food and drinks on it. People started coming in.

"Please have a seat!" Robin was inviting everyone. Soon enough, the room was animated. Colt was thrilled to have all his friends around him. Fireball came with his father, mother, Claudia and her father... Saber Rider had Sincia next to him... April was there too, with her father.

After a few bites and a few sips from the glasses of wine, everyone was comfortable and started talking.

"Dad, how did you find us?"

"Fireball, I mapped out a good portion of the underground area on the Outrider planet. There are still parts that I didn't have access to, but I think I got most of it. We traced you by the marks you left all around. I knew where the spider units were being held and we avoided their path."

"Do you think Caspar will help us?" Fireball was wondering.

Hikari nodded in affirmation.

"Yes, I'm convinced he will," Saber Rider added.

Commander Eagle had a question also. It had been bothering his mind for a while, and now he had to ask it:

"Captain Hikari, you were held captive on the outrider planet... But it seems miraculous to me that you survived the planet explosion during our grand battle; How... did you get transferred to the vapor zone? You couldn't have vaporized. Does the suspended animation chamber have some sort of properties that help humans jump dimensions?"

"What do you mean survive the explosion? I wasn't even brought to our dimension during the outrider invasion. When Erkanos freed me from the suspended animation chamber, the planet was still in the vapor zone. The first thing I did was to take a ship and try to run away from the planet. I took a tour of the planetary system, trying to find a way to escape their dimension. I didn't know the coordinates to the vapor trail though, so I figured I might need to come back to the planet and get a hold of the coordinates somehow. But by the time I got there, the planet was gone! It was simply not there anymore!"

"Yeah, that's when Nemisis moved the entire planet here and invaded our dimension!" Fireball exclaimed.

"Exactly," Hikari continued. "So I went in circles for a while, thinking it was my own mistake and that somehow it was just at different coordinates. I ended up landing on a deserted planet somewhere close by. I stayed there for a few days and survived on some food Erkanos gave me. I was really thinking I was going to die. Then suddenly, a big explosion popped in the sky and... the outrider planet was back in the old place. I couldn't believe it, but it did happen. So I went back... and I found a totally different world... Luckily, Erkanos was still there and I actually helped him. His entire house was a mess, upside down... His wife was pretty shaken up... Then I went on my pursuit to find a way out. I spent a few weeks wondering around, mapping the area and trying to figure out the Outriders headquarters. I found all their underground bunkers and that's when I discovered Jesse. He was tied to a metal bed, they were almost to the point of drilling into his skull..."

"Ah!" April gasped.

"Yes," Hikari continued. "That's when I learned about Jesse's story and the virus."

Eagle: "Very, very interesting! So not only you survived all those years in a chamber, but you avoided a major planet explosion, here, in our dimension."

Hikari: "There were several events that helped me survive: Jesse took me out from Nemisis's secret room; then Erkanos pulled me out of the suspended animation chamber; then I left the planet to try to escape... I came back, I found Jesse, he turned against me and brought me to the human dimension and traded me for April..., which, by the way, April... it was the bravest act! I am grateful and ... I owe you big time!"

"Absolutely no worries! I am happy it all ended very well for all of us!" April replied.

"Dad, how did you survive 16 years ago when you fought Nemisis? Do you remember anything?" Fireball asked.

"I... actually don't remember anything, son... I only remember attacking Nemisis and then it all goes dark..."

"I wonder why Nemisis kept you alive there..." Fireball thought out loud.

"Probably as a war trophy. It must have been Nemisis's only pleasure, in such a boring world." Colt commented.

Everyone in the room was pensive. A lot of new and interesting information...

"Fireball, I wanted to ask you for a long time... How do you guys survive, I mean, psychologically, to all this stress and tension?", Claudia's father, Mario Firenza asked.

"We enjoy it, just like I enjoy racing, you understand what I mean..."

"You have to admit the last trip was not a pleasurable one... I honestly thought I was going to cash in." Colt intervened.

"We have to give credit to Jesse here. He arrived there just in time to save me from falling into the lava." Saber Rider said.

"Did he really save you there? I thought you were joking, Top Sword." Fireball replied.

SR: "No, no, it is a fact, Jesse did save me, literally. No joke here," and he sipped a little bit of his wine.

Fireball scratched his head...

April was gazing somewhere in the room.

"What's up with you, April? You've been kinda' quiet this evening." Colt waved his hand in front of her eyes. "Yoo-hoo, day-dreamin'?"

She took a deep breath and looked back at Colt. "Life is complicated, Colt. I guess you treat everything in black and white, but you gotta' admit that Jesse saved us all today. We could have all been history at this hour..."

"I agree," Saber Rider took her side.

"It's true," Commander Eagle admitted too. "Although he did prick me pretty badly" and he lifted his finger, covered in some gauze.

April covered a smile with her hand.

"I still think this drifter has some nasty surprises for us," replied Colt in anger.

"Colt, I thought you were a man of peace! Stop talking like that." Robin cut him off.

"Excuse me, please," April got up and left the room.

"Is she upset on us?" Colt mumbled as she left the room.

She went to the kitchen. She found a chair and sat down holding her head in her palms. This was the weirdest night for her. She had just come from the hospital, where Jesse was still being kept for more investigations. She was already missing him. But now her new friendship was interfering with her old pals. Colt and Fireball were not willing to believe her or anyone else about Jesse being virus-free. And she had a duty to the New Frontier, they had to work together on this.

"Knock-knock! Am I interrupting?" Claudia stuck her head through the door crack.

"Come in," replied April.

Claudia took another chair and sat next to April.

C: "I... just wanted to talk to you, April... I just wanted to make sure there are no hard feelings between us..."

A: "I was mad at you for a while, I have to admit it. But things happen for a reason, sometimes. I really hope that you guys will make a good pair. He deserves a warm caring friend."

C: "Thanks, April. I'm happy that I spoke with you about this. I don't want us to stay mad at each other..."

A: "Talking about that..., can you talk with Fireball about Jesse a little bit? He is really mad at him... and I tried to make him understand... but to no avail..."

C: "I will try..."

 

* * *

After the party was over, Robin was picking up the dishes from the table. Colt was putting them in the dishwasher.

"Colt, please tell me that now the fights will be over. You are all going to be friends now, right?"

"Yeah, I don't know, Robin, me friends with that sidewinder Jesse, I don't think so. I owe him some punches, after all he's done to us."

"But Colt, this is not what you are supposed to do if you wanna' make peace! He saved you, guys! You two should shake hands now and..."

"Yoo-hoo, Robin, you are talking science-fiction to me here! Me shaking hands with that pesky varmint? Never!"

"Ohhh, Colt, stop talking like that. It's not nice."

"He's not nice, Robin, believe me."

"But he WILL be from now on!"

"Alright, he will be, whatever you say Robin!"

She giggled.

("a bit of a black eye won't hurt, though..." Colt thought to himself)

 

* * *

The next morning, April opened her eyes and yawned. Suddenly, she remembered about Jesse. She jumped out of bed and rushed to go to the hospital. Her father was already awake.

Eagle: "Where are you going, April?"

April: "Uh-oh, I wanted to..."

E: "Visit Jesse? He's not at Yuma hospital anymore."

A: "What? Where is he now?"

E: "A top-secret location."

A: "And... I am not allowed to know that location?"

E: "I don't know it either, April. Only the New Frontier generals know where he is. Same goes for Dr Caspar, Glower, Annabelle and all the other former outriders. They were all taken to a top secret place. It is a move that will protect planet Yuma from being attacked."

A: "I see... So we should be ready for some bushwackers?"

E: "Anytime now, April..."

 

* * *

An empty white room with a table and a couple of chairs...

"Please sit down, Mr Blue."

General White Hawk sat in front of Jesse.

W: "Jesse, we reviewed your case. We need to go through an interview with you. Are you ready for that?"

J, smiling: "Ready or not, I guess I don't have a choice, right?"

W: "Let's begin..."

Jesse was still confused. It all seemed unreal. He felt like he was being interrogated for some sins that he only dreamed about. Some of the things he did seemed so far away, in a distant and blurry nightmare. But the questions were all real, and words were falling like cutting swords:

General Wite Hawk: "After capturing Fireball, did you plan to kill him? "

J: "Well, I don't know if I really wanted to... In my dream, I somehow wanted to keep him captive."

WH: "Your dream? It was not a dream, Jesse. Stop saying the word dream."

J: "Sorry, I said that again. It's all unreal for me, believe me..."

WH: "I'm trying to. Go ahead, Jesse. You wanted to keep him captive and..."

J: "...and I even told him: "Now that I got you, I kinda' hate to get rid of you." I wanted to just prove to him that I'm better than he is. If I killed him, what point was I making? He would not be there anymore to understand my point."

WH: "Hm, in your twisted logic, this seemed to make sense." the General replied, thoughtfully. "Alright, thank you for your honest answer. Next question: What would you do now, if Fireball attacked you and tried to kill you?"

J: "He already did try to punch me, heh. I was taken by surprise, but I guess... he has the right to be angry on me."

WH, repeating the question: "I asked what would you do...?"

J: "I'd try to defend myself, of course."

WH: "Would you attack back?"

J: "No, I don't think so... I don't want to cause any more trouble..." then Jesse thought to himself: "What an odd question, are they doing a psychology test on me now?"

A little earbud headphone started speaking into the General's ear: "So far no false answers, sir. The lie detection scanners are not picking up any suspicious neural activity. He is 100% honest.

WH: "Alright Jesse, let's move on to the next topic... What do you know about Nemisis?"

And so it went for hours and hours... Behind the white walls there were lots of people listening, interpreting, reading scanners... An entire battalion of trained professionals, analyzing Jesse from all the angles: blood pressure, heart rate, neural activity, behavior...

After an exhausting session of questions, White Hawk stood up...:

"Alright, Jesse. This was all we wanted to know. Thank you." He turned around and invited Jesse out.

"Wait, General... So..., what happens now?"

"We will let you know soon." General White Hawk replied drily. He didn't want to give Jesse any friendly vibes.

Jesse was escorted out. The General remained inside. After a short break, another team brought in Doctor Caspar. Same procedures... but different questions.

After another long session, doctor Caspar concluded his interview:

"So, as you can see, General..., Nemisis has a lot of secret weapons, hideouts, auxiliary plans and a ton of intelligence. And I know just about everything that he knows. We can defeat him, but I need your protection."

White Hawk, in a very pensive expression: "Rest assured, you are in safe hands with us."

C: "I gave you a lot of information to digest, sir. I see you are very meditative."

WH: "We will take into consideration everything you gave us. Thank you!" and he stood up and shook Caspar's hand in a cold dry attitude.

After many more hours and lots of interviews with all the other newcomers (Glower, Annabelle, etc), General White Hawk scheduled another meeting with all his high rank peers. A room filled with lots of uniforms.

General White Hawk started speaking:

"Gentlemen, we have a tremendous amount of information in our hands now. Something we never had and never dreamed of even existing."

Another person in the room stood up and spoke:

"So, Caspar knows much more than we even imagined. Jesse Blue was kept in the dark about many of Nemisis's locations and plans."

WH: "Yes, that is why Jesse was always assigned at locations in our dimension. They were trying to use him as a leverage to penetrate our dimension, since he is human, and in the same time they were keeping him away from knowing too much about their dimension, in case he would betray them. Smart tactics."

Someone else replied:

"Yes, now the question is, how much can we trust Jesse? Or Doctor Caspar...?"

WH: "Our tests and lie detectors never failed. We found absolutely no evidence of lying in any of our subjects. My proposal to you, gentlemen, is to focus on saving those innocent human lives trapped in the Outrider dimension and reconsider the court martial for later. We have overwhelming scientific evidence that none of them is against us now. What do you say, folks?"

Uproar in the room...

"But sir, the procedure is to go through court-martial first..."

WH: "Procedures are meant to help us. But right now they are delaying us. We have other priorities. Our decisions now will influence our next moves. This is like a chess game. Nemisis knows that we know about him and we have to be a step ahead of him now!"

 

* * *

On Yuma:

April's phone started ringing.

"Yes, sir! We're on our way!"

She dialed back to the other Star Sheriffs:

"Guys, we are being paged by General White Hawk! Let's hit the trail!"

The Star Sheriffs took off in Ramrod with full speed. Another day of adventures was coming.

 

* * *

"You Highness King Jarray, Prince Roland, Commander Eagle, Star Sheriffs, honorable members of the Seventh Cavalry..." began his speech General White Hawk. "Today... we had a major breakthrough in uncovering the dark world of Nemisis. "Our new friends here," and he pointed out to the group of former outriders, along with Caspar, "helped us discover the deep secrets behind the vapor trails. My team of scientists can attest that all their statements are honest." Then he turned around and pointed in a different direction. "Same goes for Jesse." The blue-haired former cadet looked around with a calm look.

Great uproar in the room. Colt was rolling his eyes.

"As hard as it is to believe for some of you... yes... Jesse is back with us. Welcome back, Mr. Blue." A pause... then people started applauding. Colt folded his arms on his chest.

"And a warm welcome to the new members of the human race!" More applause.

He continued: "In the light of our news and scientific evidence, I am officially pardoning Jesse Blue."

The room was in tumult. Some people were applauding, but some looked in dismay. Colt wanted to leave the room. Fireball was stunned; he looked at April. She looked back at Fireball and tried to smile. Instead, she closed her eyes and sighed.

White Hawk continued:

"We now understand that his behavior was due to this virus. Jesse, I am putting you in charge of division 10, which is comprised of the 30 new people we just welcomed: Glower will be your second in command. Thank you. I will let Commander Eagle speak now."

"I am flabbergasted! Flabbergasted!" Colt mumbled and wanted to leave the room. Saber Rider pulled his arm and whispered to him: "Everyone is watching us, Colt. Don't be the bad example." Colt looked at him in anger, but then he gave up and stayed. He was fidgeting.

Eagle turned towards Erkanos and his wife, who were also invited at the conference.

"Dear friends, I would like to take a moment and remind every one of us that these two people right here are a true proof that our two worlds can come together in harmony! They are the ones who unlocked the secret to treating Jesse's virus, and, to my pride, I can officially announce that they invented the vaccine that can protect all of us, healthy humans and outriders, against the evil virus. Doctor Guerino will work closely with them to help starting a mass production of the vaccine."

Everyone was cheering. Eagle continued:

"I have learned, speaking with my friend Erkanos, that we humans, and the outriders, have a common ancestry, from a group of space travelers that were split apart by an unfortunate space storm. We don't know where our ancestors came from, but we know our two civilizations can truly be friends again."

Suddenly, his speech was interrupted. One of the screens in the room lit up. The ugly face of Nemisis popped on it.

"Well well, old friends... I see captain Hikari is there too... I hope you liked your stay on my planet, for 16 years..." the deep voice resonated in the room. "Well well, Jesse, you seem to be comfortable around your old friends! Where's that smirk on your face now, you lost it?"

"What do you want, Nemisis?" asked Eagle, drily.

"You see, commander..., you have something that I want... and by now you probably already know I have something, or I should rather say... someone... you want."

Eagle gasped. He knew what Nemisis was going to utter...

"Yes, commander, you know exactly what I am talking about. I want back my soldiers and my doctor. In return, I can give you some humans... They might be someone's parents in your crowd there... who knows..."

Colt jumped out of his skin. People captive in the outrider dimension? Parents?

Nemisis continued: "Think about it... Otherwise the poor humans will have to die. And... don't sit on it for too long, because my renegade units are knocking at Yuma's doors already!"

The screen went off. The people in the room were in great distress. King Jarray threw a fist on his table and mumbled: "When is this going to be over?..."

Tough decisions for the big leaders.

General White Hawk stood up and started talking:

"We have to reconsider our plans. In my office, in 5 minutes, all commanders and generals."

 

* * *

As the big meeting was taking place, all the other people waited in the conference room. Jesse looked at Glower:

"Are you ready to fight Nemisis, amigo?"

"Yes, sir, at your orders."

"Good. Let the fun begin."

Then Jesse walked out of the room to get some fresh air. The pressure and emotions had been tremendous for him that day. He kept thinking about what Eagle said: "humans and outriders have a common ancestor, from a distant unknown planet". His parents used to tell him that, when he was little. They had been space archaeologists, and they had discovered some artifacts leading to some thrilling evidence. Behind him, on the hallway, he heard some footsteps. He stopped and turned around. Colt was following him.

"Hey, Colt, what's up?"

"This is what's up!" and Colt threw a fist at him.

Jesse fell on the floor. Colt lifted him by his collar and pushed him against the wall.

"You make a wrong move and you're finished. Understand? I'm watching you. If you use Glower and his team for your fancy tricks, you're done."

Then Colt pulled him around and threw him in the opposite direction. Someone else was standing there: Fireball.

Jesse landed right into his fist...

"Yeah, bud! Take this from me, too! You deserve it!"

J: "Fireball, Colt, we can talk about this, guys! Why... Argh!" Colt just kicked him in his stomach.

F: "Talk about what? You charmed April away and you want me to talk to you?"

J: "I... ugh! Stop it, Colt!" Jesse couldn't take their hits anymore, he had to do something. So he started using his karate defense moves.

C: "Aaah, now we're talking! Here's the REAL Jesse! Let's see how nasty you can get!"

Both Fireball and Colt were throwing punches at him, while Jesse was dodging their moves.

J: "Stop it, dudes, I mean it! I said STOP!" and he suddenly used his karate throwing technique to put his opponents down in the same time. Colt and Fireball landed on their backs a few feet away from him.

Fireball lifted himself up sighing... "I'll stop when you'll admit all your miserable wrongdoings and apologize to me."

To Fireball's total surprise, Jesse started saying:

"I'm sorry guys! I REALLY AM SORRY! I didn't want to cause all the trouble. I was not myself! I apologize to you and to Colt and to everyone else! I want to fix things, give me a chance to prove it!"

Fireball was looking at him with a stunned face. Colt mumbled:

"Turncoat! You were glowing like a neon when April brought you back. Humans don't do that! You're still one of them!"

J: "I'm not an outrider, Colt!"

"I only believe it when I see it! I wasn't there to see what happened and April won't tell us anything, so I don't believe it!" Colt yelled.

 

Suddenly, footsteps approaching... April walked slowly towards them: "I kissed him... Colt, that's what happened. A kiss made his virus go away, and if you don't believe it, ask doctor Guerino for a more scientific explanation of that glow."

All three of them turned around in astonishment.

Colt was scratching his head: "Like a Princess kissing..."

"A frog, yes..." she giggled. Then she continued: "I... have been in love with him since we first met... But then he scared me away with his evil ways. I'm sorry, Fireball, I didn't want to hurt your feelings, that's why I kept avoiding to tell you..."

F: "I knew it! You used to whisper his name in your sleep, we never told you that."

J: "What? Wait a minute, you did love me all this time?"

She blushed.

Colt, laughing: "Yeah, I heard you too, April, one night when we were stationed on planet Durango."

J: "Can I hear that some time, too?"

She stood there, abashed at the situation. She didn't know where to put herself.

J, laughing: "Don't worry, April, I'm here, no more sighs in your sleep!" and he hugged her. "So, guys, what do you say if we shake hands?" and he turned towards Colt and Fireball.

Colt pushed his hat on his face, in his typical cowboy move: "Well, what the heck... You couldn't have convinced me with a better explanation, April! You know I have a weak spot for romance stories... Welcome back, hot shot!" and he shook Jesse's hand.

Fireball was still a little jealous. Jesse sensed it.

"We can talk about this, Fireball..."

"Oh man, I hate syrupy discussions!" Fireball replied with a decided tone. "Let's shake on it and move on with our lives!" and he shook Jesse's hand. But then he suddenly rushed a fist towards Jesse's stomach. Jesse jumped back.

"Ha, ha! Tricked ya'! Just kidding!"

"Ahem.. chums..." Saber Rider was leaning against a wall, looking at them. Behind him, the crowd from the conference room was staring at them with large smiles.

"What is going on here?" the voice of General White Hawk came through.

Everyone rushed back into the conference room, like school children caught by their teacher.

The General started talking: "While Commander Eagle will explain the tactics to all of you, I would like to have the Star Sheriffs from all the sectors come with me. And you, Jesse, please."

There were four teams of Star Sheriffs, covering all cardinal points of the New Frontier. They all followed General White Hawk. Jesse was walking in line with them. They arrived at a big hangar for space ships. The doors slowly opened in front of them.

"Whaaat?" a big gasp from everyone's mouths.

"But we just dismantled Ramrod 1! I thought we only played at Ramrod 2 now!" Colt exclaimed.

"There is more than that, Colt", the General pushed some buttons on a panel. Some doors started retracting. More mechas were exposed.

"Wooow!" everyone exclaimed.

"These are our new toys, and each team has one assigned. April re-designed Ramrod 1 and we rebuilt the turbo engines. We simplified it's flight dynamics, so only one person can pilot and handle it in case of emergency. Well, Jesse, after you turned it to scrap, it's time for you to turn back the dial and fix things to the better. What do you say?"

J: "Ready, sir!"

WH: "Good. Your team of 30 fighters will assist you in our turbo-jets. Treat your subordinates gently, they only have one life now. All Star Sheriffs, ready?"

Everyone, saluting: "Ready, sir!"

 

* * *

Will Nemisis manage to succeed in his evil plan? Follow us in our grand adventure of the next episode of Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs!

 

Save


	9. Episode 61 - The Key

Shortly after General White Hawk instructed them about the new mission, all the Star Sheriffs gathered to meet each other and exchange all the necessary information. The General left them and went back to the conference room. The deadline was approaching and he had to finish the negotiations with Nemisis.

Back in the conference room, commander Eagle, along with the commanders of the other sectors of the Cavalry Command, were finishing giving the final orders and the last instructions to the rest of the officers. After all the discussions ended, Commander Eagle remained in his chair. He was writing something on his notebook. Erkanos approached him:

"Commander Eagle... I would like to speak with the Star Sheriffs, before they leave."

Eagle raised his eyes from his papers: "Sure." Then he turned around towards an officer in the room: "Colonel Jones, please escort Mr Erkanos to the launch bay, the Star Sheriffs are still there."

They headed towards the aircraft hangar. All the Star Sheriffs teams were heading towards their assigned mechas.

Erkanos called out for Saber Rider.

"Erkanos, what brings you here?" Saber Rider turned towards the old outrider.

"Before you go..., I would like to give you this..." Erkanos opened his palm and handed him a very old looking coin. "Here, have this!"

"What is this?" Saber Rider looked at it with curiosity.

"It is an ancient artifact; it stayed in my family for many many generations and I believe it will be useful to you in your mission... I believe it is the key to unlock the mystery around our two civilizations. You will know what to do with it, when the time will come. I am sure of that!"

"Thank you, my friend... I will keep it with me all the time. Stay safe! See you soon. Our Eastern team of Star Sheriffs will guard this planet and protect you and Caspar from any Outrider attacks. This is our most secret location in the galaxy, they should not be able to find you here."

Jesse was nearby, talking to April before their departure. He overheard their conversation. He went straight to Erkanos.

"Is that coin the same as mine?" asked Jesse, while showing him a pendant he was wearing.

Erkanos gasped: "Where do you have that from?!"

"My parents gave this to me, when I was little. They said it was so ancient that it bears all history of humanity in it." replied Jesse.

"They might be right, Jesse. But apparently it bears the history of both our worlds."

J: "My parents researched this all their life... They were space archaeologists. They were always talking about a distant planet, far away in the Universe, that might be the place where all living creatures come from."

E: "Really? I'd like to meet your parents, Jesse."

J: "I wish I could tell you that you can, but unfortunately they went missing when I was 15. That's... how I enrolled in the Cavalry Command... My family was gone..., so my new family became the Cavalry Command."

April came next to Jesse. She gasped when she heard about Jesse's parents: "Your parents went missing? I didn't know that... Do you think outriders took them away...?"

J: "I don't think so... There was no war when they disappeared. I am assuming they ventured too far out into space and they were never able to make it back... They might have run out of fuel; they used to always push it to the limits... Who knows where they are now..." and he looked away with pensive eyes. "I used to blame them for caring too much about their passion and too little about me... I eventually forgave them. They might still be alive somewhere..."

"Hope will always be rewarded, Jesse!" Erkanos shook his hand. "Good luck in your mission, all of you!"

It was time for all the Star Sheriffs to take off. April was still not ready to go. She leaned against Jesse's chest and hugged him.

"You take care out there, Jesse..."

"Hey, don't worry about me. I'll be fine... You take care, my love... Be safe out there...!"

Colt pulled his cowboy hat over his eyes. Jesse was kissing her.

"Attention all Star Sheriff teams! Emergency! Planet Yuma is under imminent attack! Enemy ships approaching! All communication has been cut off with Planet Yuma! Immediate help is needed!" a voice resonated in the speakers around the camp.

"Go, Jesse! Good luck!" April shouted, while releasing herself from his embrace and running to get back to her ship, along with the other three Star Sheriffs.

"Hey, bud!" Fireball yelled towards Jesse. "Don't let anything happen to Yuma! All our families and friends are there! A lot of people depend on you!"

"Be careful, Jesse! My Sincia is there too!" Saber Rider shouted.

"Mr Blue! Please do me favor and be a nice sidewinder! Bite those bushwackers real hard!" shouted Colt. Robin was back on Yuma also. And Jesse was assigned to protect it, along with the Northern team of Star Sheriffs from Cavalry Command. .

"Don't worry, guys! I'll beat the heck out of them!" Jesse yelled back while rushing to Ramrod I.

Back in the command room, the screen lit up again in front of all the Generals. Nemisis started speaking in his dark voice:

"So..., pitiful humans, what have you decided? What's it going to be? Do you want to give me back what belongs to me, or do you want to suffer the consequences?"

General White Hawk stepped in front of all the leaders of the Cavalry Command: "Nemisis, we will bring Caspar, Glower and the other ones back to you. But in return we want our captive humans back unharmed and you stay away from Yuma. Otherwise our treaty is over. Can you keep your word?"

"Well, well. Easy to say, easy to do. I will not attack Yuma, as long as I see my doctor back. When I will have doctor Caspar, I will bring you back the humans I'm keeping captive in my dimension. "

"Right. We will send Caspar and the rest with our Ramrod team of Star Sheriffs. They will be there in one hour. Remember: any attack on Yuma and the truce is over!"

"See you soon, humans!" Nemisis hissed.

The screen turned off. Everyone in the room sighed. The plan was on a roll. General White Hawk opened an encrypted channel with Jesse.

"Jesse, remember, under no circumstances Nemisis is to know who is inside Ramrod, and which Ramrod this is."

"Acknowledged, General!" Jesse replied, while he was warming up the engines.

Static sounds on the intercom.

"Prince Roland here. I am ready for departure."

"Good luck, my son!" King Jarray replied from his own Monarch Supreme Ship. He was already out there, ready to fight.

"Captain Norio Hikari here. Ready for the challenge."

"This is Ranger, captain of the Southern Star Sheriff team. We are all ready."

"Wayne here, Eastern group. Ready!"

"Saber Rider here, Western sector. Ready!"

"Clint from team North. Up for it!"

Jesse paged Glower and his team:

"Glower, come in!"

"We are here, trail boss! Waiting for your orders.", Glower replied.

"Trail boss? Hey, we don't know of such names here! Watch it, pard!" Colt paged back.

"Sorry... I mean... commander, I mean Captain Blue..." Glower stuttered. "The heck, you've been my commander for so long and you still are. Can't I just call you trail boss? What's wrong with it?"

"Hahaha!" Jesse was amused. "I like this."

"You are the "trail boss" to us, and you'll always be! " Annabelle added over the radio.

"Guys, call me what you want, just stay focused and do what I say. Don't go out of my orders, alright?"

"Acknowledged, trail boss!" all of his subordinates responded over the radio.

"Pheeewww...! I guess a habit remains the same, no matter if you are human, bushwacker or... fresh convert! Hahaaa..." Colt was amused. "Amigos, you stay out of trouble out there, ok?"

"We will, Colt! You keep an eye on dangers out there, too! And don't let April stay by herself anymore , OK? I don't want her to be captured like last time." Jesse replied.

"Relax, hot shot! Everything is under control!" Fireball paged back.

"I can take care of myself, Jesse!" April opened her screen and looked at Jesse in anger.

"Mmm, you look so sexy when you frown at me!" Jesse replied.

She stuck her tongue out at him, with a playful face. He blew a kiss back at her.

"Chums, this is it! We are all heading out! Let's do this!" Saber Rider announced.

"Star Sheriffs numero uno!" they all shouted.

"Head 'em up and move 'em out! Power stride and ready to ride!" Ramrod's voice announced.

The hangar's ceiling opened and each mecha took off in a different direction.

 

* * *

In the conference room, General White Hawk lit up a hologram of the galaxies. He started pointing out and pinning different locations:

"Folks, let's review what we discussed. This is our location now, planet Amman. We are currently the top secret location on the New Frontier and our planning here is critical. Nobody leaves this building until the mission is over. The Eastern team of Star Sheriffs, led by the skilled captain Wayne is here to protect us.

Alamo planet is under the guard of King Jarray and the Northern team of Star Sheriffs, led by Captain Clint.

And Yuma, as we discussed, will have Jesse Blue and his squadron, plus the Southern team of Star Sheriffs, led by Captain Ranger.

Every inhabited planet on the New Frontier is on alert. Our fighters are ready to go at any time.

As for the Saber Rider's team, he will be heading into the Vapor Zone. Prince Roland insisted he will join them, although King Jarray would rather much have him around. Captain Hikari will join forces with Saber Rider and together they will raid the Outrider dimension."

One of the leaders inside the room was doubtful:

"General White Hawk, what makes you think that Nemisis didn't bring the human prisoners with him in our dimension? After all, he wants a fair exchange. Caspar against the prisoners. What if Saber Rider will go to the Vapor Zone and he won't find anyone there? It might be a trap. "

"Colonel Hahn, let's analyze what Nemisis said. Here is the recorded conversation:" and White Hawk lit up the screen and replayed the last words with Nemisis: "When I will have doctor Caspar, I will bring you back the humans I'm keeping captive in my dimension." As you can see, he didn't even bother to hide the fact that he doesn't have any prisoners with him. He is promising us a pie in the sky, that somehow he will bring the captives AFTER he gets his hands on Caspar. I don't believe in after fact promises, and especially not coming from Nemisis. We will proceed with our plan. Jesse will arrive there and we will follow through as we discussed here."

 

* * *

On Yuma, three girls were sitting down at a cafe table, on a chic downtown street. Claudia, Robin and Sincia decided to meet up and have a little chit-chat, among girls. Now that the boys were on a mission again, they wanted to get together and share some thoughts.

"I'm glad we met today! It's such a nice sunny day. What is it, Sincia, you seem very worried." Claudia asked.

"This last call that they got was very urgent. Saber Rider left in an absolute rush. I'm really worried that this is going to be another tough battle, maybe the worst of all. I'm afraid... I don't even know where he left, he said it was top secret." Sincia whispered, with a concerned voice.

"O, don't worry, Sincia! They always have urgent calls and top secret missions. That's their job! I'm pretty relaxed." Claudia leaned back on her chair.

"I'm not relaxed, Claudia." Robin started speaking. "Ever since I met Colt, I feel this knot in my chest... Always danger, always guns... I worry about him a lot."

"Don't worry, girls. We'll all be fine." Claudia laughed.

Suddenly, sirens started zinging out loud on the streets.

"Everyone, shelter in place! Bushwacker alert, bushwacker alert! All communications with the Galaxy have been cut. We are on our own!"

"Quickly, girls, let's get to the car!" Claudia stood up and grabbed the other two girls by their hands.

"I've got my own car, Claudia, I'll drive Sincia back home," said Robin.

"No way, Robin! My car is much faster, I'll drive!" Claudia shouted.

They all arrived at Claudia's pink racer car and got in.

"Where should we go?" Sincia cried.

"I know where to hide. I'll drive there as fast as I can," said Claudia.

"Whoooow...!" the other two girls started screaming.

Claudia was racing through the streets in a frenzy:

"Buckle up, girls! We're in for a ride!"

"No wonder Fireball likes you! You're just like two drops from the same pitcher!" Robin cried.

 

* * *

Jesse was approaching Yuma planet, in his Ramrod I robot. April did a good job in remodeling the ship. Now, there was one saddle unit that had all the commands of the ship. The other three chairs were still in place, but their command buttons were deactivated.

"Glower, prepare for the stop and hide maneuver, at my command." Jesse announced, through their encrypted transmission.

"Roger that, trail boss!" the response came through.

"Jesse, we will wait for your sign," captain Ranger spoke.

"Acknowledged, captain Ranger! Good luck to you! Remember, look for vigilantes, they always show up in the most unexpected moment." Jesse replied.

When they reached the outskirts of the Yuma solar system, they all split apart: Jesse in Ramrod I proceeded straight ahead towards Yuma, to meet Nemisis. Captain Ranger's Star Sheriff team proceeded cautiously around the planets and turned to stealth mode. Glower's team hid behind some asteroids.

"Annabelle, come in," Glower called.

"Right here, captain," she replied.

"Stay behind me, alright?"

The big moment was approaching. The outriders had a belt of ships surrounding planet Yuma. Nemisis was in a black ship, flanked by his jet fighters. Ramrod I appeared in Nemisis's visual range. Nobody could make the difference between Ramrod I and II.

"All units, get ready!" Nemisis ordered.

Ramrod was getting closer and closer.

"So..., Star Sheriffs! I want to see that weasel of mine, Caspar!"

Jesse had a series of recorded videos. He started playing them. He sent a recording of Saber Rider speaking:

"Nemisis, we have your prisoner: here he is." Caspar's face showed up on Nemisis's screen. "And here are all your soldiers – Glower and all the others. "

"Good... I will send my ship in to take them all. Nemisis closed the intercom, then he turned towards his commanders: "This is too easy. Something is fishy here. The Star Sheriffs are giving in too fast."

"But sir, that's how they are, they care about their friends and families: they want their friends back really badly." one of his commanders replied.

"Don't be naive, they know what they are doing and they lost their trust in us. They might be hiding them somewhere else and they just want to lead us on. Prepare the renegade! Alert commander Patch to be in position at Alamo. If they don't give us what we want, we'll give them hell. Let's test them a little bit."

He opened the intercom with Ramrod again: "So, Caspar, how is it like to be a human now?"

Jesse had an answer for that too. He had a voice simulator. He started talking, while the simulator was transforming his voice into Caspar's voice: "It's great, Nemisis. I'm better as a human. You should try it too."

"Are you mocking me now? How dare you?"

"No kidding, Nemisis, Humans are much better than Outriders. "

"Aargh! Let me see your face while you speak!" Nemisis grouched. He somehow realized that they were poking fun at him, although he couldn't understand human humor.

Well, for that, Jesse didn't have a solution. So he decided not to answer at all.

"Silence, ah? So you don't want to show your face, Caspar? Star Sheriffs, what games are you playing? Let's see how you respond to MY games! Haha!"

Suddenly, an fleet of Outrider ships descended towards the Yuma planet.

"Let's see what you'll do now, lousy humans!"

The ships started throwing down missiles. Yuma responded with its own fleet of defense.

Jesse started simulating Saber Rider's voice, while he was piloting Ramrod closer and closer to the black outrider ship:

"Let's do the prisoner exchange and let's get over with this!"

Nemisis: "Pitiful humans! Too late for that! I will take over your Ramrod once and for all! You are mine!"

A giant Renegade unit arose from behind his black ship. It was a ninja renegade, playing in space with a massive nunchaku.

"Wow, looks like we are going to have a lot of fun tonight", Jesse told himself, while he pushed the Ramrod transformer button.

"Ramrod will now take navigational control"... The ship turned into the giant cowboy and dodged a hit from the outrider mecha. "What a sleek transformation. Good job on Ramrod, April!", Jesse was content.

"I guess you guys forgot who you're talking to! I'm the best karate fighter on the New Frontier! Let's see how you take this!" and he swirled the Ramrod around and kicked a giant foot into the renegade's face.

"Fire at will!" Nemisis shouted while piloting his ship towards Ramrod. "My scanners show only one person inside your cockpit! You did not bring me Caspar and you will pay for this! That was a foolish decision! Whoever you are inside there, you made a very, very bad move!"

Shots and hits started coming towards Ramrod. Now Jesse had to defeat both the Renegade unit and Nemisis's ship. It was time for the next step of the plan. Jesse paged the rest of his allies.

The ninja Renegade was flipping the nunchaku weapon closer and closer to Ramrod. Suddenly, another mecha showed up from behind. It was Captain Ranger's unit. He opened the communication with Jesse:

"Needed some help, amigo?"

"Never refusing it, man! Let's beat up some vapor bags!"

"Aargh, so you do have more teams around! Let's see how you deal with my Vigilantes now!" shouted Nemisis.

Another group of fighters showed up in the skies above Yuma. The vigilantes started attacking the Star Sheriffs. Little did they know that Glower and his team were right behind them.

"Take this from us, Nemisis!" Glower shouted while shooting at the vigilantes.

"Good timing, Glower, let's kick some ass!" Jesse paged them. Then he turned to Ranger: "I'll take care of this nasty Renegade."

"Right! I'll make sure to send Nemisis to scrap!"

Nemisis was putting up a fierce fight. His ship turned into a giant robot also and started hitting the Star Sheriffs. The ninja robot threw itself over Ramrod and they started falling down towards planet Yuma.

"Aaargh!" Jesse was screaming. "You're not going to win! I'm better than you!" They landed in the desert next to the Yuma city. A sudden hit came from the nunchaku. Ramrod fell down. The Renegade came raising a gun over Jesse's robot. Ramrod gave it a foot and made it trip. In the split of a second, Ramrod took the nunchaku weapon and hit the Renegade in the head. The mecha exploded in pieces, making a big blast in the sky.

Far in the distance, in the desert, some Moai heads were standing up against the sun. Jesse flew towards them.

 

* * *

Inside the Yuma city, the three girls were racing to get to shelter.

"Where are we going?" Robin shouted.

"I have to get to my dad!" Claudia yelled.

Out of the blue sky, ships started coming. Outriders started shooting above them. Debris and bricks from buildings started falling over. The girls were terrified. Claudia thought to herself: "I have to be brave, just like when I'm doing the races. Fireball taught me so." She raced as fast as she could through the streets, among other cars. The other two girls were screaming their lungs out in fear, while she was piloting her racer left and right.

They managed to get out of the congested traffic inside the city and Claudia pushed the gas harder on a clear road. She tried calling her father. The lines were down. All satellite communications were cut off around the planet.

Suddenly, above them, an outrider jet appeared.

"This is it..." Sincia whispered.

Fire from the sky was falling above them. Claudia started moving the car left and right, to avoid the hits.

"Hang tight, girls!"

The ship was getting closer and closer. Its shadow was getting bigger and bigger over Claudia's car. The Yuma desert started showing up in front of them.

"There is nowhere to hide there! Turn around, Claudia!" Robin yelled.

"I know, but this thing is chasing me, I can't change course!"

All of a sudden, another ship came from behind. A red haired girl was piloting it. That was Annabelle. She started firing at the outrider ship. A few more blasts and the ship fell to the ground in a big boom. Claudia stopped the car.

Annabelle landed next to them: "Are you alright, girls?"

"Thank you!... Yes... we are...!" Claudia sighed in relief, hugging her friends, Robin and Sincia.

"Better run to a shelter, it's not safe for you out here." Annabelle continued.

"Right, let's go get your father and hide away," Robin turned to Claudia.

"Hey, I've seen you before! Aren't you the girls I met when we all landed on Yuma? You are Fireball's girlfriend! And you must be Colt's friend! And you were up in the sky with Saber Rider!"

Sincia blushed.

"Yes, we are those girls." Claudia replied. "Look, there is Ramrod! Let's go see what's going on with our friends!" and she pushed the gas pedal to go greet them.

"Stop, girls, it's not them in there! Hey, stop!" Annabelle tried to warn them.

Inside Annabelle's cockpit, Glower's voice called over the radio:

"Where are you, Annabelle? Report back!"

"Oooh, girls, too late to go after you now. I have to go back", whispered Annabelle. She rushed to her ship and took off, to Yuma city.

Claudia's fast car was already approaching Ramrod. Jesse parked it next to a boulder, while he went to check the Moai heads in the distance.. In the blinding light of the hot day, his silhouette disappeared behind one of the big stones.

"Claudia, it's dangerous out here, let's let the guys do their job," Sincia tried to persuade her friend.

"What if they are injured? They might need our help! Look, the hatch is open, let's go inside!" Robin was feeling a little more brave this time.

The three girls ran up the ramp and entered Ramrod.

 

* * *

Up in the stratosphere, Nemisis was fighting hard with Ranger and his Star Sheriffs.

Jesse walked around the group of Moai heads. "Won't you look at that! The same heads that were on the Outrider planet are also here. I wonder if they are connected somehow... Maybe Erkanos was right. At the right moment, we might find the key to unlock the mystery around our two civilizations."

He walked around them again, holding his chin.

"Wait a minute! Did I just say... THE KEY?" and he looked down at his own pendant, hanging at his neck. He took it out and removed the coin from the setting in which it was encased.

"Where should it go now...?"

He started walking around all the statues. There were all sorts of geometric shapes written on their backs. But only one statue, the central one, had a circle, right in the middle of its back. Jesse pushed the coin into the round socket. He felt a click under his fingers... and in an instant, all the statues started making a shuffle sound. Jesse stood aside and watched the scene unravel.

First, the eyes of the statues lit up... Rays of light started coming out... A show of lights was happening... But then slowly the rays intersected and an image started forming into a dome-shaped hologram, above the ground, in front of the Moai row of stones.

"It's a map! But what map is this?" Jesse was amazed. "I don't recognize any of these constellations! It's a different dimension! Is there a … THIRD dimension out there? I'd better take a picture of this!" He put his helmet on and started filming the map, with the mini-camera mounted on his helmet viewer. "Where is this, how do I get there?"

Out of a sudden, as if someone was reading his mind, a strong red laser light jutted out of the central Moai head and pierced the skies deep into the abyss.

"It points to the direction where I need to go! That's it!"

He ran as fast as he could to Ramrod.

Nemisis showed up from above. He saw the big red laser coming from Yuma and he wanted to know what that was: "A-ha! So that's where the lasers come from! You have Moai heads on your planet too... Interesting... Let's drop some shells on them!"

Suddenly, Nemisis realized that Jesse was there, running towards Ramrod. "So it was you inside Ramrod all the time! Jesse Blue...You are going nowhere!" Nemisis's ship started shooting at him. A big blast blocked his way to Ramrod.

"Take it easy, Nemisis! You ain't going to get away so soon!" Ranger's team kicked Nemisis's mecha from behind. "Run Jesse, we've got you covered!"

Jesse activated his jet pack and flew as fast as he could to Ramrod.

"Don't let him shoot at the Moai heads!" Jesse shouted at his peers.

He got into his ship and ran up to the control room. He pulled up the lever and took off, leaving a big cloud of dust behind.

"Take this from me, Nemisis!" and he started blasting back at the evil outrider leader.

Nemisis was circled. Ranger was hitting him hard and Jesse was launching torpedoes at him. His ship spiraled down into the ground. A big explosion followed, throwing a lot of sand and fire up into the air.

Among the ashes, the cyborg body of Nemisis stood up.

"You haven't seen the last of me! I am Nemisis! I am much much more than this body! Planet Alamo is next and it's too late for you to stop it! My commanders are already there! Say goodbye to Cavalry Command and your friends at Alamo!"

"You are so predictable, Nemisis! You think we don't know your moves? Game over, big fella'!" shouted one of the Star Sheriffs from his cockpit.

Another blast and the dark cyborg fell down. Above them, the Vigilantes were also circled by Glower's squadron.

"I have to follow this laser path! Guys, we won this one on Yuma! Keep it safe! Glower, take your team and help rescue survivors at Yuma!"

"Roger that, trail boss! Safe trip! Come back, alright?" Glower responded.

"Jesse, you know you are on your own out there, right?" Ranger asked.

"Don't worry, man. I'm up for anything!" and Jesse took off. The red laser was still pointing up into the sky.

"Ramrod calculating path... Coordinates set... ready to go!" Ramrod's voice announced inside Jesse's cabin.

"To a new dimension!" Jesse shouted.

 

* * *

On Planet Alamo, King Jarray's royal ship was defending a heavy attack from the Outriders. Commander Patch was leading the offensive. He came with a very destructive renegade unit, which he called "The Ripper". The Star Sheriffs under the command of Captain Clint were fighting side by side with King Jarray.

"Some other Star Sheriffs? Who are you, fleshlings? I haven't seen this robot of yours before."

"Surprised, Patch? Oh, don't cry, I know you miss Saber Rider's iron fist, but guess what? We have lots and lots of surprises for you, too!" and the Star Sheriffs pulled a giant spear and threw it at the renegade.

Patch skillfully avoided the spear's trajectory. "Haha, you don't get me that easily, fleshy creature! Take this from me!" and he replied by slashing a bayonet at his opponent.

King Jarray fired at the renegade's arm. The bayonet fell and the Star Sheriffs threw a fist towards the renegade's head. The giant robot lost balance and fell. Patch gnashed his teeth in anger.

"Patch, come in!" Nemisis's voice called through their radio com.

"Nemisis! You came to save me!" Patch replied.

Nemisis, in his dark, angry voice: "No, you idiot, I need you in the vapor zone! Leave Alamo and come at once to the base. Saber Rider tricked us! He is in the vapor zone now and we are in deep trouble! Report back as soon as possible!"

Patch: "I'm afraid I'm kind of busy now, Nemisis! Sorry I can't help you! Aaaargh!" His ship had just lost a limb. Clint's mecha was using Patch's own weapon, the bayonet, to slay into his "Ripper".

"Looser! I guess I'll see you in my vapor chamber!" Nemisis replied in dismay.

"Woaaahhh... Bail out time!" Patch gave up and vaporized. His mecha exploded, seconds after.

"There you go, beat the vapor trail, drifter!" exclaimed Clint.

"Good job, Star Sheriffs!" King Jarray congratulated everyone.

 

* * *

"Whaaat? This is not a new coordinate! This is the …. VAPOR TRAIL!" Jesse exclaimed in a big worried face. The red laser beam was sending Jesse directly in the vapor zone. "Maybe this is how it should be! The Moai heads are communicating with each other... I'm coming to help you, April!"

Suddenly, he heard sounds coming from behind him. A female voice was sobbing...

He jumped out of his seat and pulled his blaster. A few steps and he reached to the source of the sounds.

"Jesse, don't shoot!" Claudia opened her palms in a defense gesture.

"Claudia? What in the Universe are you doing here?" Jesse was taken by surprise. He recognized her... from their previous... less fortunate encounter, when he was still under the virus influence.

"We thought the Star Sheriffs were in here!" Robin showed up from behind Claudia.

"Oh boy..." sighed Jesse. "What am I going to do with you now?"

Lying on the floor, in the back of that little control room next to Ramrod's cockpit, Sincia was sobbing. During the take off, Ramrod made some abrupt moves that threw the girls around. They were not expecting the ship to take off like that. Sincia's ankle was injured.

"Are you hurt, ma'am?" Jesse asked. He didn't know her or Robin, he had never met them before. But the girls knew who Jesse was; his face had been on all the "Wanted" posters across the New Frontier.

Sincia gasped and tried to retreat. Jesse put his gun away and extended his hand to help her.

Sincia: "Please don't hurt us..."

He looked at the three girls... They all had frightened faces.

Jesse: "Hey, don't be afraid, I'm with the Cavalry Command."

Moment of silence...

Robin: "I told you, girls, he is back, just like April said. He has recovered from that virus they were talking about."

Jesse: "So, you know who I am, too."

Sincia, with a trembling voice: "Everybody knows who Jesse Blue is..."

Jesse, with a flustered smile: "I'm not THAT Jesse anymore. Come one, let me help you, you're supposed to buckle up during flight. You girls can sit in the cockpit with me, there are three more chairs there."

They helped Sincia lift up and take a seat in one of the saddle units.

"Here, let's wrap this around your ankle." Jesse brought a bandage and helped Sincia.

"Dimensional jump approaching in 2 minutes." the voice of Ramrod announced in the room.

Jesse gasped: "Ohhh, rats! Too late to turn around and bring you back to Yuma! If I slow down now and try to turn around, the gravitation will still pull us into the wormhole, and it might be actually dangerous, we could get lost inside there and never come back. We have to keep moving."

Robin's eyes got bigger: "Did you just say wormhole?"

Claudia: "Yeah, I heard "dimensional jump", right?"

Sincia: "Oh dear God, where are we going?"

"Some place new..." sighed Jesse. He didn't know how to explain to the girls that they were actually going to... the Outrider dimension!

He was never put in a situation like this. Having to take care of three vulnerable girls in a crucial adventure of his life.

J: "Buckle up, girls, roller-coaster approaching!"

Everyone sat in their chairs, waiting for the big moment.

"Dimensional jump in 3 – 2 – 1 seconds!" Ramrod announced.

"Whoooowww! Aaaaaaaaaahhhhh!" screams of terror from the girls.

"What's your name?" Jesse shouted to Sincia, trying to soothe her shock. Ramrod was accelerating into the wormhole.

S: "I'm... aaaauch! I'm Sincia!"

J: "Nice to meet you, Sincia! You must be Saber Rider's girlfriend, right?"

S: "I am! How do you … know that?"

J: "You look like you're his kind of girl!"

The ship was moving fast into a whirl of lights inside the wormhole. The whole experience was like falling into an abyss with the speed of light.

J: "And you must be Colt's significant other, right?"

Robin glanced at him in absolute terror. Her face expression was petrified. She always thought roller-coasters were the most abominable thing ever invented and she would have never ever climbed into one. And this thing, this... dimensional jump... was just about the worst roller coaster ever...! ever...! in existence.

Jesse continued, trying to make her calm down: "Close your eyes, ma'am. Breathe in, now exhale! Now, tell me again, what's your name?"

R: "I'm... oh boy, I don't know my name anymore! Whoaaaahhh!" the ship was shaking from the pressure outside.

J: "I guess I'll have to find out from Colt, then," he tried to joke.

Out of a sudden, the roller-coaster trip ended. They were in the vapor zone now.

"I'm Robin..." she finished her sentence.

"Nice to meet you..." he turned a smily face "...Robin."

Then he added: "I guess Colt will have to learn that you don't like roller-coasters!"

"You guys like only dangers. I don't understand how that works for you, but it's a fact," she crossed her arms and threw a grumpy look.

"Oh, you can't change us, that's for sure!" Jesse laughed.

Claudia was all a smile: "This was fun!"

"You didn't scream a bit." noticed Jesse. "Did Fireball give you any lessons into jumping dimensions?"

"My father taught me car racing! Speed is my thing!" she announced proudly.

"Where are we now?" asked Sincia with an innocent look.

"Um... it's called... uh... vapor zone," Jesse replied hesitantly.

"VAPOR ZONE? You took us to the vapor zone?" Robin was outraged.

Jesse: "Hey, relax, ma'am, I didn't know you were hiding in my ship; do you think I did this on purpose?"

"We weren't hiding in here, we came looking for our friends!" Robin exclaimed.

Jesse rolled his eyes, but kept his mouth shut. He didn't want to start a tense conversation with them. He had just gained Colt's trust, he definitely didn't want to lose Robin's. That could have turned into a "diplomatic" disaster.

Suddenly, a shower of blasts from a squadron of Vigilantes came upon Ramrod.

"Look out!" shouted Sincia.

"I'm lookin'... out..." mumbled Jesse. ("Calm down, ladies, I got this!" he thought to himself).

He started blasting back at the Outrider speed-jets. He managed to cut his way through a carpet of Vigilantes and advanced his way deeper into the vapor zone.

The Vigilantes were following them. Jesse started maneuvering the ship among asteroids, just to avoid the attacks.

Jesse: "Hang tight, girls!"

"I think I need a strong drink after this!" shouted Robin.

"If there is an AFTER this!" replied Sincia.

From behind a red planet, a giant shadow appeared. It was another renegade unit, three times bigger than his own robot... Behind him, the Vigilantes were getting closer and closer...

"Oh, man... I think I can beat this, but I might shake these girls too hard. The Star Sheriffs will hate me for this." Jesse said to himself.

"Ladies, do you mind if I start another fight...?"

"Do we have any choice...?" Claudia looked at him in desperation.

 

* * *

Will Jesse be able to overcome this new challenge? Where are Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs? Did they survive in the vapor zone? We'll find out in our next episode! A big surprise awaits, so stay tuned!

 

 


	10. Episode 62 - The Road to Freedom

There was an awkward silence inside Ramrod, while they were heading to the Vapor Zone. All four Star Sheriffs were sunk deep in their own thoughts. One could feel the pressure of this new and very serious mission they had. As always, Colt was the one who could not keep his mouth shut for too long:

"So, I'm still curious, April, who started first?..." Colt turned a smiley face.

"Started... what?" she was hesitant.

"You know..., well... you know what I'm talking about..." he winked at her, while scratching his head in abashment.

"As a matter of fact, I don't have a clue what you want to ask me, Colt," she tried to pretend she didn't get it. Her cheeks were as red as roses.

"He wants to ask you if you kissed Jesse first, or if he made the first move," explained Saber Rider, sniggering.

"You guys have been talking behind my back again? Don't you have better things to think about?" she tried to hide her blush.

"Well, you know how these guys are, nosy as ever!" Fireball crossed his arms on his chest and pretended he wasn't interested in the conversation. But he was still kind of jealous... and very eager to find out, too!

"You know what they say: curiosity killed the cat!" she turned the tables on them.

All three guys sighed in disappointment. She excused herself and left the room to freshen up. She locked herself in her little bedroom and exhaled in relief. These guys were too straightforward with her. She didn't expect them to be so intrusive into her personal life.

Now that April was not around, the guys started a little gossip:

"I think she kissed him first," declared Colt. Let's bet on this, guys! Who's in?

"Nah, I think it was consensual," Saber Rider opposed. "What about you, Fireball?"

He frowned: "I don't want to talk about this, but if you really want my honest opinion, I bet Jesse forced her and she had no other option. But I don't think she'll ever admit to that."

After a few minutes, she came back and sat in her chair.

Colt was still fidgeting in curiosity: "Beating around the bush, April?"

Saber Rider and Fireball were all abashed. They were covering their faces with one hand.

"Let it go, Colt..." Saber Rider mumbled.

"Ugh," she sighed. "I was the one to kiss him. Alright? Do you want a more detailed description, Colt? Let's focus on our mission guys. The wormhole is approaching."

"I knew it!" Colt exclaimed. "I won the bet! But wait, what's the bet prize? We forgot about that. Ugh..."

"You guys put bets on this?! Oh, you... are hopeless cases!" April was madly amused.

"Prepare for dimensional jump", Ramrod's voice announced.

They were soon in the vapor zone.

"Kinda' quiet around here, don't you think, Top Sword?"

"Yeah, I think they all hit the road for our dimension." Saber Rider noticed.

"Don't be so sure, they might come out of nowhere!" Fireball was skeptical.

"Until then, let's follow the plan," Saber Rider took his job seriously. He opened the channel with Prince Roland and Capt. Hikari. "Prince Roland, are you ready for our next step?"

"Ready as always! Let's defeat the enemy in his own court!" the Prince responded.

"Captain Hikari, good luck to you!" Saber Rider spoke.

"Good luck to you, too, boys! We'll beat the wranglers once and for all!" Hikari replied with confidence.

"Watch out, dad! Don't want to lose you again!" Fireball was worried.

"You won't, son. Let's do this!"

The three ships split up. Ramrod headed towards the Therrium planet. The planet was named after the precious material called therrium, which was used by the outriders as their energy source.

Captain Hikari left off for Planet Grunge, which, according to Dr Caspar's recounts, was a huge manufacturing plant for their outrageously destructive Renegade units. Hikari had a recon mission assigned there.

Prince Roland was also on a recon mission, for another planet, called Rammel. There, outriders were making their wrangler ships and quick attack jets.

 

* * *

On planet Yuma, one parent was in serious panic attack. All the people in Yuma city were celebrating the defeat of the outrider attack, except Mario Firenza. He drove up to where all the people were gathered downtown. Soldiers were parading along the streets. Communications were re-established. People were cheering on the streets. Mario was desperately trying to call his daughter. No answer whatsoever. He arrived close to a group of soldiers and started asking around:

"Gentlemen, I believe my daughter is missing, I need your help!"

A soldier turned around: "Well, there is a big crowd on the street, she might be in there, I think you should calm down and wait for all this parade to end. I'm sure you'll find her."

Mario: "She is not answering her phone, something is wrong..."

"It's loud here, she might not hear it, sir. Or maybe the battery is down. Other people were also separated and look, now they found each other," and he pointed out to other people on the street, hugging each other in happiness.

"Please, sir, can you page your superiors? Tell them it's Mario Firenza... and it's urgent..." he was trying to convince the soldier.

"Oh, are you the famous car racer? Sorry, sir, I didn't recognize you! I'll page the Command center." He dialed quickly on his radio. "Sir, yes, I have a civilian here, Mario Firenza, our champion racer. He is looking for his daughter."

After a few minutes, his superior paged him back. Mario's heart was beating to break his chest.

"Sir, they said that one of our pilots saw her earlier today."

"Where? How is she?" Mario jumped. "The desert? I'm going right now!"

He rushed out of the city and sped up on the desert road. Far in the distance, a pink car was parked on a sand dune. There was smoke coming out of a big pile of metal and debris, about a hundred feet away.

The area was surrounded by tape and a group of soldiers were guarding the area.

"Sir, you are not authorized to enter here," one officer met him.

"But that is my daughter's car! Where is she? Can I see her, is she alright?"

"Your daughter? You must be Claudia's father, Mr Firenza! Sir, your daughter apparently embarked on one of our ships, thinking that Fireball was in it. She was accompanied by two other young ladies, Saber Rider's girlfriend and Colt's girlfriend. We tried to contact the pilot, but he was already too far away when we realized it. He left off for a different dimension, apparently."

"Another dimension? What is she thinking? Ohhh, Claudia, you always manage to get yourself into trouble!" Mario was crushed. He fell on his knees and started crying like a child.

The Cavalry Command was on alert about this situation. Commander Eagle was ready to send a rescue mission. General WhiteHawk opposed:

WH: "We are complicating the plan. We don't want more people involved. We don't even know where Jesse is now. We'll just have to take our chances on this one."

Eagle: "But General, these three girls are civilians, they are not trained in any way to survive in a war zone, they might get injured inside the ship, during maneuvering, take off and so on... Who knows where Jesse is now and what dangers are out there. We don't know where those Moai heads were pointing and the lasers went off shortly after his departure."

WH: "Commander, I am very aware of that. But I trust my former cadet. He was the best in many generations at our academy. I believe Jesse will be very careful."

Eagle: "Careful? He blatantly disregarded our orders and left off for an unknown dimension, although he was not assigned any mission there. His mission on Yuma was over. He defeated Nemisis. He should have returned to base, not wander away! He is using Ramrod I as a... recreational vehicle now, for... who knows what mystery he wants to solve. Is that a disciplined soldier? That virus might have done more damage on him than we thought!"

WH: "He has always been kind of like that, Commander. More of a maverick type."

Eagle: "And you approved of such behavior in the Academy?"

WH: "We didn't, and we always tried to tone him down, but he was darn good at all classes and always got the best grades. Commander, my judgement here is to let Jesse pursue this opportunity. Whatever the Moai stones are indicating, it might be a major discovery. "

Eagle: "With all do respect, sir. I believe you are giving him too much credit. I think he should have returned to the base. And Captain Ranger covered up for him, so he should be held responsible too."

Eagle left the room in anger. White Hawk was disturbed. He didn't expect Eagle to be that adamant about this situation. Although... he was kind of... right. What are they going to tell Mr Firenza now...? And Robin's family? And Sincia's?... A huge responsibility was weighing down on his shoulders now. But then again, this was totally an out of control incident, and it was not Jesse who provoked it. The girls shouldn't have stuck their noses where it wasn't their business.

 

* * *

"There it is!... The Therrium Planet!" April stood up from her seat and looked out the windshield.

"Looks funky to me!" Colt exclaimed.

"More like a giant black potato," Fireball was amused.

"Ugly as a big boulder," Saber Rider added. "Caspar gave us the exact coordinates, indeed. Chums, I will go in there and send the nano-drones. Follow my directions, alright?"

"Gotcha', Top Sword!" replied his team.

Saber Rider took off on Steed, while Ramrod made a sharp turn and ventured around the planet to investigate more.

"I've got to be silent as a sneaking cat..." Saber Rider thought to himself, while landing his robotic horse behind some hills. He turned on his jet pack and flew behind a dark blue building. "Hm.., even the soil here is black like the therrium material. I guess it's all about therrium here. These wranglers were hiding it all for themselves."

There were a couple of guards walking around the entrance of the building.

"Let's distract their attention..." Saber Rider said. He activated one of the nano-drones (it was a tiny insect-like robot, equipped with a camera and sending out videos and images to Saber Rider's own helmet and to Ramrod. The bug started going around the outrider guards, buzzing in their face and in their ears.

"Hey, get off of me, yuck..." the guard started making dumb faces and waving his hand in the air to catch the bug.

"I'll catch it!" the other guard jumped in.

The bug took off around a corner of the building.

"Hey, where are you going?" they both started running after it.

This planet was so desolate and empty, that any minor little entertainment was an enormous distraction for the outriders. They just could not resist running after the bug.

"Guys, I'm in!" Saber Rider announced his friends.

"We hear you, Saber Rider. Send us the maps and locations."

Saber Rider flew inside the building and hid behind a corner. Some outriders were walking down a corridor. He released another nano-drone, this time a silent one, that was flying low to the ground, right behind the soldiers. "That's it, my friend. Go scout the area."

The soldiers opened a sliding door and entered another hallway. Images from the drone started coming in.

Saber Rider ran down another hallway and released more nano-drones.

In a matter of minutes, the drones started sending out images and mapping out the area.

"There they are!" April exclaimed. "The workers! We found them! Zoom in, Fireball, let's see if they are humans or outriders."

One of the drones managed to get inside one of the lower chambers of the therrium mine. It was the extraction site. It was a huge underground chamber, with large pillars sustaining the big ceiling and lots of little compartments and corridors shooting off of it. Stairs and decks all around, connecting the different levels. People everywhere, drilling and carrying wheelbarrows with raw material. Some outriders, wearing brown uniforms, were watching over them.

"The workers have rounded ears. And their skin is not bluish! I think we hit the jackpot, Top Sword!"

"I can see it, too," confirmed Saber Rider, who had mini images projecting on his helmet visor. "April, can you compose a map out of all the data?"

"Sure can, Saber Rider," she replied. "It looks like there are two entrances. We can ambush them."

"Right! Fireball, bring Ramrod close. I'll meet you at the west wing. April, you and Colt take the east entrance."

Ramrod turned to stealth mode and landed somewhere close to Steed.

"Not exactly a playground, huh?" Colt was commenting, while he and April were sneaking into the mine. The two guards were still distracted out there somewhere, chasing the bug.

"Looks very creepy to me," said April.

"Stop, someone's comin'," said Colt.

Another guard passed through a hallway. Colt and April sneaked behind him. They followed the maps and arrived at the mine entrance, after rushing through several corridors and going down some stairs.

"Oh, no, the entrance uses some sort of biometrical device in order to open it," April sighed.

"Let's blast the door!" Colt offered.

"No, we have to be quiet, these prisoners depend on us," April opposed.

Meanwhile, Saber Rider and Fireball were infiltrating west wing.

"Let's follow this path, it's shorter." said Saber Rider.

"Right. That way we'll avoid being seen, also. "

Suddenly, an outrider jumped out of nowhere:

"Star Sheriffs! Who invited you here!"

"No one! But I guess you never come invited to our dimension either! So we're square!" Saber Rider kicked him.

By this time, the sound attracted more soldiers.

"We've been tracked. Repeat, we've been discovered. Are you there, April?"

"We're here, Fireball" she replied. "Did you find the prisoners?"

"Not yet, but we will, after we fight off these vapor bags!"

"Watch out, guys!" April shouted.

"Hurry up, April, get those humans out of there fast, I don't know how much time we can buy, more outriders coming!" shouted Fireball, while April could hear the sounds of blasters in her helmet, coming from Fireball.

"Then I say we go for the loud solution here, too!" exclaimed Colt, while he pulled out his blaster and shot at the door lock.

A big explosion... then Colt kicked the door with his foot and both him and April stood aside, waiting for the outriders to show up. And there they were, fierce and angry. April and Colt were ready for them. One by one, they were falling down. And... because they were in their own dimension, they were all turning to humans... A pile of disoriented humans formed in front of the entrance. April helped them stand up and asked one, who seemed to be their leader:

"How many humans are here?"

"A... about a thousand... ma'am..."

"Whoop-de-do!" Colt yelled. "A thousand? How are we going to transport so many inside Ramrod?"

"I... I have a big ship that can take them..." the newly humanized outrider explained.

"What?..." April gasped.

"We were just going to make a shipment of processed therrium to Planet Grunge, to fuel a new Renegade unit. But we can use it to take the humans instead."

"Right, let's go, help me bring all the humans out of here!" April demanded, while jumping inside the mine to help Colt fight more outriders.

"Nemisis, we've been attacked. Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs are here! Were are screwed!" one outrider officer paged Nemisis.

"Am I interrupting a great conversation?..." April showed out of nowhere and blasted the outrider. He fell on the floor and turned human. He rushed to run out of the room, but Colt stopped him and pushed him back:

"You'd better do what we say now!"

"Oh... I will, whatever you say, man! Don't hurt me, please!" He was so disoriented he couldn't even hold his posture.

More outriders kept coming out of the mine. Some were running away, trying to escape to the ships. Some were fighting, but to no avail. Colt was the best sharpshooter. April started evacuating the humans out. "Quickly, people, let's go!"

The humans were all rushing towards a big ship. It was a fuel cargo ship. All the barrels were waiting outside to be embarked. But now instead of the barrels, humans themselves were getting on it.

"April, we are in. What's your status?" Saber Rider asked, while gunshots were being heard everywhere.

"We started evacuating, Saber Rider. There are about a thousand people here! There is a big cargo ship behind the entrance, that can hold all of them in."

"Right! We'll direct them to the cargo ship!"

"Oh, and one more thing, Saber: I think Nemisis was informed we are here... I heard one outrider sending a message to their supreme Trail Boss," said April.

"Not good! We've got to rush!" Saber Rider shouted.

After a few more minutes, everyone was inside the transport ship. April was still scouting all the corners of the mine to find more people left behind. She was shouting inside the mine: "People, everyone out, you are free! Let's go!" Suddenly, she saw a move behind a pole.

"Who's there? Come on out, whoever you are!" she went towards the pole with her gun out.

In an instant, a kid jumped out from behind the pole and ran towards the inside of the mine.

"Hey, come here! Come on out!"

The kid was so scared, that he was desperately running away from her. April ran quickly and caught his hand.

"Hey, come with us, we have to rush! It's dangerous in here, you can't stay here anymore!"

"Leave me alone! Let me go!" he screamed, trying to escape from her clasp.

April leaned forward: "What's your name?"

He was not answering. Instead, he was looking in terror at her right hand. She was still holding her gun.

"You're just one of them!" he screamed.

"No! I'm not!" and she put her gun away. "Look, see, I have round ears, like you! We just beat up the bad boys. Now you are with humans, like yourself! Let's go, we have a big plane to catch!"

The kid's distrust was slowly fading away. He liked airplanes, so he followed her.

"What's your name?" she asked him while they were running to the exit.

"I'm Jason. What's yours?"

"I'm April. I'm a Star Sheriff. Where are your parents?"

"Far away, back home, on Durango. Outriders took me when they attacked us."

"Quick, let's run, fast!" Colt lifted the boy up.

"Will you take me back to my parents?" Jason asked.

"Right, little buckaroo, you'll be home in no time!" answered Colt. "Now, hurry up, you're making all these people wait for you!"

Behind Colt, an outrider showed up out of nowhere. The kid saw him and screamed at Colt:

"Look out!"

Colt turned around and shot him in the split of a second.

"Yay!" The kid exclaimed, while the outrider turned into a human and fell down. April lifted him up: "Now you go with us!" and she pushed him inside the cargo ship, along with everyone else.

"Let's go up here, alright?" Colt tried to put the kid in the cargo room, along with all the other humans.

"No, I wanna come with you, I wanna pilot the ship!" the boy kicked and started screaming.

"Alright, but you gotta promise me you won't scream anymore," April intervened.

Colt, the little boy and April ran up into the command room of the transport ship. There, the former outrider leader was waiting for them, with the engines ready for take-off.

"What's your status, chums?" Saber Rider asked through his radio.

"Ready for departure, sir!" Colt responded, as he sat in his pilot seat.

"All engines on, destination planet Grunge," announced Fireball.

"This puppy is very maneuverable!" Colt was excited about the big cargo starship he was piloting. "These outriders are not that stupid after all. They can engineer really cool stuff."

The former outrider leader next to him nodded, then he said:

"Right. But now it's time to use them for a peaceful purpose."

"Phew, I never knew you guys can turn into good people just with the click of a gun! I like this!" Colt was very content. Then he pushed the throttle lever. The ship lifted up from the ground very fast.

"Now don't get too acrobatic about it, Colt! There are humans inside this ship, you don't want to scramble them inside there, do you?" April was seriously admonishing Colt.

"I'll be as gentle as a little lamb, ma'am!"

"Yay! Let's go, Star Sheriffs", exclaimed little Jason.

 

* * *

"I have to stay hidden until the Star Sheriffs come. I can do this," Hikari told himself while he was hiding inside his ship behind some hills. "Won't you look at this..." he was watching something on his computer screen.

Hikari was also equipped with nano-drones, which he had just used to map out the entire area. He was looking at the film and realized he had just discovered all the locations where the prisoners were being held.

"Well, well, you nasty Nemisis, you are sedating the rebels and keeping them in containment rooms. We'll show you hell. Soon!" Hikari said to himself.

"Captain Hikari, this is Saber Rider, please come in."

"Saber Rider, I'm here. Mission accomplished. Sending you the maps."

"Acknowledged, Captain. I'm receiving the files right now."

Suddenly, the transmission got interrupted. Saber Rider was baffled. He received only half of the map file.

"Guys, we have to watch out, these guys are out there, they spotted us."

"Aargh!" Fireball yelled. Ramrod was just given a thrust from behind.

"Hello, old friends!" Grimace's face popped up on their screens. "We were waiting for you!"

Grimace was piloting a big fighter jet.

"Top Sword, it's the two of us now, let's show this dude what we can do!" Fireball shouted.

"Right!"

Ramrod started looping up into the sky, to avoid Grimace's ship.

"Oooh, I'm getting dizzy here..." Grimace was annoyed. Ramrod was gyrating around him and he was trying to follow their moves. "Whoooah!" suddenly Ramrod was behind him, shooting. He didn't have time to react. His ship got blasted and spiraled down towards the planet.

Down on the ground, outrider troops were already detached, waiting for combat.

"Did you receive my maps?" Hikari came back.

"We'll have to try again, Captain. Only half of the file came through. We're getting closer, I'll let Colt and April know where to land safely," Saber Rider responded.

"Wait, they are not with you?" Hikari asked.

"No, they went with a cargo ship, they took all the humans there. More space than inside Ramrod. They are hiding behind the asteroid belt, and they will land here as soon as we neutralize the enemy."

"Smart thinking, guys. We have to keep the humans safe," said Hikari.

"Alright, file download complete," acknowledged Saber Rider.

"Quick briefing, Saber Rider: they increased the number of troops twofold since I started monitoring the area. They must have sensed we are in their dimension," Hikari responded.

"Yes, indeed, they sent out word to Nemisis." Fireball said.

"Apparently, they are not very well equipped here, they probably sent all their heavy duty weaponry to our dimension. Defense here is pretty shallow. Let's show them a real Star Sheriff ambush!" Saber Rider added, while looking at the images he had just received. .

Ramrod headed down into the planet's atmosphere. In the meantime, Grimace managed to eject himself from his falling ship and activated his jet pack to run into a control room inside his underground command base. Commander Patch was already there, watching desperately all the developments.

"Patch, we're fried! These guys are out to get us!" Grimace muttered.

"Big news, small-brains! Like I don't know!" Patch replied glumly.

The ominous voice of Nemisis came through their comm-link: "You slackers, what did you do? Patch, I told you to protect my Therrium planet! Why are you on Planet Grunge? And you, Grimace, lousy worthless worm..., you'd better get your act together and fight the Star Sheriffs! "

"Sorry, sir, but I thought you wanted me to work on the Caterpillar Renegade..." said Patch. "We just reconditioned it and we just sent it to the wormhole exit, to guard it. It will be waiting for the Star Sheriffs there, when they will try to return to their dimension. They'll have a pleasant surprise..."

and Patch rubbed his palms.

"Imbecile! You should have kept it there, to fight the Star Sheriffs! How are you going to protect the planet now? Uhhhh... Another planet for the scrap pile!" Nemisis hissed and closed the radio link.

Ramrod showed up in the radar screens. All artillery was ready. But behind a big hill, a dark green jet fighter was already shooting at all the outrider outposts. It was Hikari's ship.

"Sir, we are being surrounded!" and outrider leader from the field shouted back to Grimace through his intercom. "Sir? Hello?"...

Both Patch and Grimace had bailed out. Their ships were darting away from the planet.

"Retreat! All troops, fall back!" the outrider yelled.

Just like little ants running left and right, all the troops scattered.

"That's right, go away buds!" Fireball was happy.

Ramrod and Hikari landed their ships. In a minute, they were inside.

"Colt, come in!" Fireball called.

"Right here, pard!" came the answer.

"Operation successful. Bring in the freight ship."

In a matter of minutes, Colt landed the cargo ship and opened the loading door.

"I'm coming with you," little Jason jumped.

"No, you stay here and guard your friends, OK?" April winked at him.

"Mmm, OK!" the kid was happy that he had an important mission: to protect the humans.

"You have a way with kids, April. How do you do that?" Colt was curious.

"I'm a natural, Colt," she giggled.

Saber Rider and Fireball decided to stay and guard off the doors outside. Colt, Hikari and April went in, following the maps provided by the nano-drones. Many of the doors to go deeper underground were sealed. They had to blast their way in.

In a few more minutes, people started coming out.

"This way, folks!" Saber Rider guided them into the cargo ship. The newly arrived people were taken by surprise by the amount of humans already inside the bay. The joy took over everyone – they started hugging each other, welcoming one another. A feeling of solidarity was hovering over the crowd.

After all humans were evacuated, Hikari said:

"Colt, April, follow me!"

"Where are we going now? Aren't we supposed to get back up there now?" Colt wondered.

"We have more rooms to open, let's go!" Hikari called.

"More?" Colt asked.

"Yes, Colt, look at the map!" April answered. "There are more locations."

Soon enough, they were running along some dark corridors.

"Let's enter this room." Hikari was also watching a video projected onto the inside of his helmet visor. The video was a live transmission from one of the nano-drones.

On a bed, a person was lying, with a mask on her face and tubes coming out of it."

Colt leaned over and took the mask away.

"She is asleep!" April said.

"Hurry, we have to get to the next chamber. There are dozens of them and we have to move fast!" Hikari encouraged Colt. But he was just standing there still, in a mute astonishment.

"What is it, Colt? You look like you've seen a... ghost!" April tapped his shoulder.

Indeed, Colt's face was white as a sheet of paper. He couldn't utter a word.

"Do you know her?" April was already worried.

A tear came out of Colt's eye...

"Mom..." he leaned over and hugged her.

April gasped.

The lady suddenly opened her eyes and took in a deep breath.

"Mom!" Colt exclaimed. "Mom! Wake up, it's me!"

"Where am I... What is happening...?" she was confused.

"You're safe now, we're getting you home!"

"Home... Colt?!" She suddenly stood up from her bed. "Colt! Is that really you? What are you doing here? How...?"

"I'm with the Star Sheriffs, mom! We came to save all of you! Everything will be just alright!" and he hugged her.

"We have to find John also... They took him away the same day they took me..." she whispered.

"Right, let's go open all the rooms!" Hikari called.

They rounded up all the rooms. No trace of outriders, they all had run away, in fear of the Star Sheriffs. Some rooms had several people inside. Slowly, they were all waking up. In the last room they opened... Colt spotted his father... His mom took the mask away. The sedation gas was very short acting. In a few minutes, he started opening his eyes. He first saw Alice, his wife.

"Alice...! What are... you doing here? You came to rescue me?" John asked.

"No, but look who came to take us home, my darling!" and she looked at Colt.

"Dad! It's me, dad!"

John was still dizzy from the sedative gas. His eyes were blurry.

"Who...? What...? Colt...? My son!"

April was wonder-struck. Tears were dripping down her cheeks.

"Time is flying! Let's get everyone upstairs!" Hikari rushed them.

People were starting to sober up from the sedatives. April, Colt and Hikari helped them go up the stairs and after a while, they all arrived at the exit. Saber Rider and Fireball were very anxious to see everyone out and safe.

"Whew, what happened there, guys? Did you encounter some bushwackers?"

"No, Fireball, we found Colt's parents!" April exclaimed.

"Whaaat?" Saber Rider and Fireball were both taken by surprise.

Out of the dark tunnel, Colt appeared, holding his mom and dad by their shoulders, as they were still walking slowly and wobbly. He passed among everyone, victorious and proud of his family. As they were heading towards the cargo ship, Colt started asking them:

"So, you're saying that they forced everyone to work on building Renegades?"

"Yes, Colt, and we and a few others started a riot. We risked everything, we didn't care anymore. It was just unbearable..., the situation was desperate. They separated us from the rest, they interrogated us, they beat us up, then they wanted to kill us. But one of the doctors here said he would keep us for some medical experiments, that's why they had us under sedation, for a future medical study... It was terrifying..." his mom replied.

"Yes, Colt, it was a nightmare..." his father added.

"It's over, now, everything will be alright," and Colt stopped in front of the cargo ship. In the meantime, Colt's radio link beeped. Saber Rider spoke:

"Colt, very sorry to interrupt, but we have a very urgent communication from Prince Roland – he sent us a message at Ramrod – he needs our help on Planet Rammel. You and April are needed at the commands. Captain Hikari will take the lead on the cargo ship.

Colt turned to his parents, with a saddened face: "Mom, dad, this ship will transport everyone back to the human dimension. I'll have to get back to Ramrod and continue my mission... I'll see you on the other side, very soon! I promise!"

"Wait, son, where are you going? I thought you are coming with us..." John asked.

Colt hugged his parents tight... His heart was torn apart between his mission and reuniting with his family. "Dad, I promise I'll be back again. But I'm on a mission... I'll stay close, I promise! But you guys have to stay in this ship, it's safer!"

He ran back to Ramrod. Tears were coming out of his eyes.

"Here he is! Are you alright, bud?" Fireball asked, when Colt sat back on his seat in Ramrod.

"I'm fine, race-boy! Let's hit it!" Colt replied with a drowned voice.

Ramrod and the cargo ship took off. Hikari felt he had a tremendous responsibility now. He was piloting away all the humans rescued from the two planets. And there was one more planet to go... planet Rammel.

 

* * *

"Aaargh!" a human screamed.

"Maybe we should have stayed on Rammel!" a lady yelled, as the ship they were in was looping up in the sky.

Prince Roland was piloting his big ship outside planet Rammel. Here, Nemisis has been producing all the fighter jets and vigilantes' ships. When the Star Sheriffs attacked the Therrium planet, Nemisis sent out word everywhere to guard off and secure all the areas.

When Prince Roland arrived there and sent the drone spies, he noticed that there had been a sudden change of troops and tactics down on the planet, so he figured out that he'd better take the mission upon himself, rather than wait for the Star Sheriffs to come. Time was of essence, and any extra minute could have meant death sentence for the human prisoners. So he managed to already extract all the humans from the manufacturing plant. It proved to be a very risky mission, but he was an excellent sharp-shooter, and he defeated all the outrider guards.

But what Prince Roland didn't expect was a Renegade unit! Just as he was lifting the ship up from the planet, a caterpillar-looking Renegade crawled among some distant planets and headed right towards him.

He started throwing torpedoes at it..., but the Renegade had some sort of shingles that were deflecting all the hits. So his only option was to try to run away and maneuver the ship out of the blasts. The ship he was piloting was a member of the Royal fleet, a little brother of the Monarch Supreme ship. It was holding enough space to keep at least one thousand people in its bay area.

"Hang tight, everyone, we are under attack by a Renegade unit!" Roland announced the rescued people through his radio.

"Renegade? We are basically dead!" someone cried.

"Prince Roland, come in!" Saber Rider's voice came through the Prince's voice com.

"Star Sheriffs! Finally you responded! Hurry up! I need your help, we are under attack by a Renegade unit!"

"We? What do you mean "we"? I thought you were by yourself in your ship!" Colt interrupted.

"Not anymore, cowboy! I already rescued the prisoners! But I can't hold off this creature!"

"Hide behind asteroids! You are smaller and the Renegade can't get in there, it will crash into the boulders," April suggested.

"I'll try!"

"We're on our way! Coming as fast as we can!" said Fireball.

"Hurry up, these people depend on us!" the Prince demanded.

Prince Roland maneuvered the ship among some asteroids.

"Yuck, not exactly my favorite type of ride, among boulders..." He had to pilot the ship in sharp moves, and the people inside were not exactly happy about that...

"Hey, it's gone! The Renegade is gone!" Roland exclaimed, after he waited around for a while. "It worked! Star-Sheriffs, it worked!"

"We've got your location, Prince Roland. No sign of Renegade here. It must have headed towards the human dimension. We have to track it down and stop it. Stay behind us! Captain Hikari is coming in with a cargo ship behind us also.

"Boys! Look! The renegade unit!" April jumped out of her seat. It looks like it's fighting off some other ship now! But who is it?"

Indeed, big blasts were lighting up the sky among some dark planets in the distance. The caterpillar was wiggling its tail, trying to strike another robot.

"Let's take a closer look!" Fireball was eager to unveil the mystery.

 

* * *

"I've got to hold this beast down somehow..." Jesse was thinking, while backing out of the caterpillar's path. He pushed the transformation button and the Ramrod giant cowboy robot started shaping up.

"Ramrod will now take navigational control..." the ship responded...

"Jesse, what are you doing here?" the intercom opened up. April's face popped on the screen.

"Hey, you are here!" Jesse exclaimed. The three girls next to him sighed in relief: help arrived. "I... missed your pretty smile!" Jesse threw her a glamorous look.

"Watch out, Jesse!" The Renegade unit tried to clench Ramrod with its numerous insect-like legs. Jesse jotted out in the last moment. "Guys, let's blast the beast away!" April shouted.

"Right!" Colt pushed the cannons buttons and pointed a few shots at the caterpillar Renegade. The shield deflected the energy back.

"Shucks, this thing is worse than I imagined!" Colt was angry.

"Alright, Jesse, I have a plan: let's grab this caterpillar by both sides and try to hit it against the asteroid behind it. What do you say?" Saber Rider came up with a suggestion.

"Sounds cool. I'll grab this end, you grab the other! One-two...three!" The two Ramrod robots joined forces and grabbed the huge squirmy beast by the two sides. The Renegade unit was spastically trying to release itself from the clasp.

"Got to hold it tight..." Colt was grunting.

They turned on their turbo engines and flew in the same direction in the same time. Once they gathered enough momentum, they let go of the giant renegade into an asteroid giant boulder. The Renegade snapped right in the middle and exploded in millions of pieces.

"Good job everyone!" Hikari showed up from somewhere out in the space and congratulated them.

"Thanks, dad!" Fireball was very proud.

"Good luck going forward! Be very very careful there now. Nemisis is still out there, be very prudent, don't underestimate his powers. Me and Prince Roland will now head back to our dimension. Got to bring all our friends home!" Norio Hikari added.

"Safe ride, Prince Roland and Captain Hikari! We'll meet you shortly! Nemisis has some bills to pay!" Saber Rider replied.

"See you soon, April!" little boy Jason jumped into the conversation. "Promise you'll come visit us!"

"I will, Jason! Now you behave yourself there and get home safe, alright?" April winked at him.

"Oh, April has a little boyfriend?" Jesse laughed.

"Well, you know how she is, charming all the hearts around her..." Colt giggled.

A moment of silence over the intercom...

"Did my daddy send you here, Jesse?" April's eyebrows were lifted.

"Mmm, not quite... More of a "me, myself and I" mission," he muttered in a sort of shyness.

"Oh, reverting to your old selfish ways, Mr Blue?" Colt tried to banter him.

"So, then... why did you come here?" she asked.

"He's afraid he might lose you, April," Saber Rider jokingly teased her.

"Oh, come on, guys, I smell something else here. You're not here because of me, are you, Jesse?" she was trying to keep her cool demeanor.

Claudia just couldn't keep her mouth shut: "He came here because of the Moai heads! He followed their laser lights!"

"Claudia?" Fireball stood up, bewildered. He looked at her with big eyes. "You? Here?"

"That's right, hot shots! And I am here too!" Robin showed up from behind Claudia and giggled.

"Robin!" Colt took off his cowboy hat and threw it down on the floor on with a dazzled expression.

Sincia didn't say anything. She just slowly walked behind the girls and leaned against their shoulders.

Saber Rider's heart jumped to break his chest.

"No, no, no! Tell me this is not real! Jess, what did you do, why did you bring our girls here? Are you out of your mind?" the blonde Star Sheriff leader had the most eruptive reaction of all three.

"I don't think I had any other option, Mr Rider," Jesse innocently glanced back at him. "And... I think I remember telling you some time ago: my name is Jesse, not Jess."

"Are you becoming your old self, Mr Blue? Shall I remind you that you still need to graduate the Academy, before you can wear a star on your chest?" Colt was already extremely aggravated. "How dare you talk to us like this? How dare you make such reckless decisions about our girlfriends?"

"Hold your horses, boys!" Robin intervened. "You are misinterpreting all of this! It's all a misunderstanding! Do you think we would be laughing and giggling if Jesse took us here against our will?"

"Then what did you do to them, bud? How did you lure them to come with you? Did you seduce them, like you always do with the girls around you?" Fireball jealously clenched his fist.

"I think Claudia said something about some Moai heads... " April was the only one who actually listened to what the girls said. The boys were absolutely blinded and deafened by anger and shock.

"That's right." Claudia stepped forward. "It's all my fault. I saw Ramrod and I thought the Star Sheriffs were inside it. Instead, it was Jesse Blue, and we realized it when it was too late. Jesse was just ready to take off on the path pointed by the Moai head lasers."

"Moai head … what?" Saber Rider was astonished. "They are just big sculpted boulders!"

"They are more than that, man..." Jesse replied. "And we've got to decipher the code inside the ones on the outrider Planet too."

"That's right! I saw the laser light with my own eyes, when we embarked on Ramrod." Sincia added.

"Sincia, are you sure? The Moai heads were pointing out in space? That is fantastic! Jesse, you found the key to the Moai stones!" Saber Rider was amazed.

"Oh... man..." Colt stuck his face in his palms, looking at the girls. "Trouble girls... What are we going to do with you now?"

"That's what I was thinking, too, Colt... when I discovered them here. Just a few minutes before jumping dimensions..." Jesse nodded with his old smirk.

"We're not trouble! You'll see! We can help, too! Just tell us what to do!" Robin was infuriated.

"Can you shoot a gun, darlin'?" Colt smiled at her, smugly.

"Ohh, boys and guns..." Robin was angry.

"Better take them back home, Jesse!" Fireball was all heated up.

Out of a sudden, a shiny robot with the shape of a human came out of nowhere and attacked the two Ramrods. It started blasting out fire through its palms. The robot was moving extremely fast.

"Star Sheriffs, did you want to see the real Nemisis? You'd better pray for your life, because you are about to meet the real Supreme Trail Boss! Hahahaaaa!" Nemisis's voice resonated into their radios.

"What is that?" Claudia asked fearfully.

"Buckle up, girls..." Jesse advised them worriedly. "Can't back out of here anymore. We're in for another dance..."

 

* * *

Ready for the next level? Follow us on the next episode of "Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs"!

 


	11. Episode 63 - Paradise?

"Urghhh... Jesse, do something, will you?" April was groaning, while all four Star Sheriffs were trying to keep Ramrod II steady.

"Can't do anything...! Aaaahhh..." Jesse was making every effort to keep the flight dynamics under control on his own ship, Ramrod I.

"All flight controls are non-responsive! We are heading towards the Outrider planet!" Fireball was pressing every possible button on his command panel. "Nemisis is pulling us into the atmosphere! Prepare for a rough landing!"

The robot that attacked the Star Sheriffs was using a powerful magnet to pull them towards him and drag them down.

"Haha, you small, insignificant Humans! You think you can defeat me with some cannons and blasters? Fireball, you'll pay for the destruction your father brought upon me! Revenge is close! I will make you all feel the same pain and mutilation I have suffered! Do you know how it is to be stuck in a computer? Everyday I do only boring calculations!"

The two Ramrod ships were falling deeper into the atmosphere of the Outrider planet.

"All the systems are jammed! This magnet is scrambling all our devices!" April was yelling, while holding on to her chair.

As they were falling, the robot slowed down the descent.

"Try to break out from his grasp!" Saber Rider ordered. "Try to activate the turbo engines."

"Can't do anything, he got us locked, Top Sword!" Fireball desperately replied.

"Haha, I got you pinned like little insects! My vapo-magnet beams are like something you've never seen before! My technology is far more advanced than your squirmy useless robots. You will see my real powers! Soon! Ha ha ha!" Nemisis was raging.

"He is forcefully landing us on the Outrider Planet. He is using some sort of magnetic power to keep us in his energy field!" Saber Rider said in anger.

"It's apparently called a "vapo-magnet beam" and I don't know how to stop it!" April was desperately typing on her keyboard, trying to come up with a quick solution.

"Get ready chums, we are going to land! Aaaargh!" everyone gasped and held tight to their seats as Nemisis controlled the two ships at landing.

 

* * *

In the Human dimension, on planet Amman, all the leaders and generals were following and guiding closely all the developments. Planet Yuma has just been cleared from attackers. Planet Alamo was also Outrider-free. So far, planet Amman has not been reported to have any intruders. It was a top-secret planet with a hidden location.

"Sir, our Galaxy coordination system just reported incoming ships at the gate into our dimension. They are coming from the vapor trail."

Suddenly, the communication turned on:

"This is Prince Roland. I repeat, Prince Roland, request permission to land on Yuma."

Seconds later, Hikari came through:

"Captain Hikari here, request permission to land."

"Permission granted. Planet Yuma Command Base welcomes you," a voice came through the intercom.

Commander Eagle was very worried. No sign of his daughter or the three lost girls. He cleared his throat and opened the channel with the two pilots:

"Welcome back, gentlemen! Please report the status of the mission."

"We have a couple of thousand people on board of our two ships, sir," Hikari replied.

"Great job! My Monarch Supreme ship is already on Yuma, I will personally receive all the newcomers. Captain Hikari, your courage is inspiring! Great job, my son!" King Jarray responded, from planet Yuma, where he had just landed recently.

"Prince Roland and captain Hikari, where are Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs?" Eagle intervened.

"They are heading towards the Outrider Planet, as planned," captain Hikari replied.

"And Jesse Blue joined them. I believe this was a strategy change, right?" prince Roland added.

Everyone in the Cavalry Command gasped.

"Jesse is in the Vapor Zone?" Eagle shouted.

"Are the girls alright?" General White Hawk asked with a trembling voice.

"Girls, what girls?" Roland was surprised.

"Sincia, Claudia and Robin... They embarked onto Ramrod when Jesse took off, thinking that was the Star Sheriffs's ship. He might not even know they are inside there..." Eagle replied desperately, hoping either Hikari or Roland would know something.

"I don't know anything about them..." Hikari was very astounded. "So Jesse is not supposed to be in the Vapor Zone? Where did he take off to? He was assigned to stay and fight on Yuma, right?"

"Yes, but after his mission was over, he followed some sort of mysterious lasers from a group of Moai sculptures, pointing out in space..." White Hawk answered with a heavy voice.

"I will go back and find the three girls!" Prince Roland replied decidedly. "Father, request permission to leave immediately after landing everyone from my ship."

"Permission granted, son!" King Jarray replied quickly. "Gentlemen, I believe this is the right decision!"

"I agree," said General White Hawk.

"Good. Now at least we know we have a chance of finding them!" Eagle was pleased to see that finally White Hawk agrees about a rescue mission for the girls.

 

* * *

"Let's see..." the gruff voice of Nemisis was resonating on the hallways. The shiny robot that dragged them on the Outrider planet was another one of many avatars that Nemisis was using. When they landed, the robot folded and transformed into a 10-feet tall, smaller version. The Star Sheriffs, Jesse and the three girls were immediately taken out and escorted by a squadron of Outrider fighters.

"Move, fleshlings!" one Outrider shouted at them, while they were walking down a corridor.

Robin, Claudia and Sincia started walking along their boyfriends, while April paired up with Jesse. A sense of solidarity was growing, in these critical moments.

Jesse whispered to Saber Rider, while walking along:

"Do you still have that coin from Erkanos?"

Saber Rider nodded a "yes", discretely.

"It fits into the Moai heads – there is a slot to turn them on. They contain maps to a new dimension," murmured Jesse.

"We have to reach them, somehow..." Saber Rider whispered back.

"Shut up and walk!" one Outrider jabbed Saber Rider in the back , with his gun.

They arrived into an underground secret chamber. A big throne was overlooking this dome-shaped vast room. Hanging from ceiling of the dome, there was a chandelier, with laser lights pointing out in four directions. Under the laser lights, in the four cardinal points, there were... four Moai stone heads! Saber Rider gasped. Here they were, the stones they'd just been talking about! But how did they just get there? The Moai heads were built outside, and that's where they all remembered seeing them last time they were on this planet!

The shiny robot walked into the throne room and sat down on the throne. It was so tall, that everyone in the room seemed midgets compared to it.

"So Nemisis brought the sculptures here... He probably is curious what secret lies behind them, too... He must have seen those lasers they were shooting off in our dimension..." Saber Rider thought to himself.

"This villain saw what I did on Yuma and wants to get rid of the Moai heads now..." Jesse was also thinking. He held April's hand tight, while the Outriders stopped them around what seemed to be the center of the room.

"Why did you bring the Moai heads here, Nemisis?" Jesse asked in anger.

"Silence, Jesse! You don't need to know what I want to do with them!" Nemisis replied.

"Hm, definitely Nemisis is upset that he doesn't know what's going on with these rocks. He wants to unlock the mystery..." Saber Rider thought to himself. "Maybe we can use that to our advantage."

"So, Star Sheriffs, I want to show you what Fireball's father inflicted upon me! I will make you pay for this!"

Suddenly, the glass floor under their feet turned transparent. They could see everything underneath. Everyone gasped... A dismembered body was lying horizontally in the middle of a room below the thick glass floor, in a crystal casket. Its skull was open and the brain was attached to millions of tiny electrodes and wires. Sincia covered her eyes and leaned on Saber Rider's chest. Claudia was barely standing up. Robin felt like throwing up.

"Oh, what's the matter, you don't like me? I used to be like you, like my people, I had a body, a vapor body..., I was an Outrider being, like everyone else. Now I'm connected to wires and circuits... Ugh...! But I am more powerful than ever! Revenge is close! You will see! Ha ha ha!" and the robot punched a fist on the throne's arm.

Shivers of fear went through everyone's spines... The dome above them lit up. The laser lights coming from the chandelier intensified their beams hovering over the Moai heads.

Saber Rider looked around and noticed that the Moai heads eyes were absorbing part of the laser lights. He started thinking: "Hm, maybe the Moai heads are actually bearing some sort of solar panels inside their eyes... This is how they resisted all these thousands of years and absorbed the energy necessary to shoot off the guiding lights."

"Now, let's start the process! Soldiers, prepare to..."

"Nemisis, wait!" Saber Rider lifted his arm up. "I have something that might interest you!"

Jesse gasped. Saber Rider was holding up the ancient coin from Erkanos.

"Wow!... Saber Rider is playing our last ace in the sleeve...," Jesse thought to himself.

It was a risky move on Saber Rider's part. Everyone was stunned. He could lose everything.

"What now?" the robot stood up from the throne.

"I have the key that opens the Moai heads. Don't you want to know what is inside them?" Saber Rider waved the coin in front of everyone.

"Hmmm..." the robot was grunting. "Don't play chess with me, Star Sheriff. You will lose and you will regret it very badly..."

Sincia was shaking... Saber Rider held her hand tight. She felt his positive energy and courage.

"The Moai heads are holding a map to a new dimension. Don't you want find out the way to get there? There might be more space for you to settle there, and for your people. And you might find what you are looking for, a new body," Saber Rider was trying to bring any incentive to the plate. "Right, Jesse?"

"Right," Jesse played along. April raised her eyebrows. Fireball and Colt were also looking at them with curiosity and hope.

"C'mon, Jesse, use that damn slyness of yours at least one time for a good cause!" Colt thought to himself.

Jesse smirked. His old, deceitful face came back. He felt an awkward, yet natural urge to throw that smugly glance. He took his helmet off: "I have a video of the maps, right here, if you don't believe us."

"Hmmm... Show me the map..." Nemisis barked.

"If you have all your men leave the room. Just us and you," Jesse pushed it.

"Don't try to trick me, fleshling!" Nemisis hissed. "Get the helmet from him!"

An Outrider fetched away the helmet from Jesse's hands. He tried to activate the buttons inside it. Jesse puffed in sneer.

"Aaaa... Nemisis... it's not working..." the dumb Outrider whined.

"Hey, easy, it's highly sensitive, don't break it!" Jesse looked at him. "It only takes my fingerprints, not working on anyone else!"

"Alright, give it back to him. If you try anything, all of you are fried! My lasers will burn all of you in an instant, like lousy insects!"

"Like I said... Get your men out of the room. They don't need to know any of this stuff, right? They might get smart and leave this dimension without you knowing!" Jesse pushed it again. He started getting back the feeling of how he has to interact with these dudes. He had his way of talking with Nemisis and the Outriders. He had been around them for too many years.

"That's right... Play your cards, bud!" Fireball thought. Everyone felt that Jesse was getting into his old persona. That behavior and tone of voice were all too well known...

"Aaalright, Jesse. Get out, all of you!" Nemisis subsided.

The soldiers followed his orders and left. The big doors closed behind them.

"So, this is what I filmed..." Jesse turned on a small projector from his mini-camera in his helmet. A hologram of a galaxy projected into the room.

Nemisis's robot scanned it in an instant. Within fractions of a second, his computer assessed and compared the data with all his known galactic maps.

"Indeed, this is new stuff. Where is this?" Nemisis became very interested.

"We can only find out through this coin!" Saber Rider waived his hand again...

"Show me how to use that coin." the cyborg stood up from the throne.

"It's easy, I'll do it," Jesse rushed.

"Stay right were you are, Jesse!" Nemisis ordered. "Don't try to fool me! I will do it."

The giant cyborg walked slowly toward Saber Rider. There was nothing that the young Star Sheriff could do, but to give him the coin... He could not risk a fight with a robot that had the upper hand: he took all their blasters, his sword had been confiscated... Nemisis could control all the lasers in the room, so he could shoot at any of them, at any time.

Colt looked at Saber Rider desperately. Nemisis could crush the coin if he wanted too. But fortunately for them, this time his curiosity was bigger than his evil side.

"So this is a key... Hmm..." Nemisis was analyzing the coin. "Let's find the slot for it!"

"It's in the..." Jesse started talking.

"Shut up!" Nemisis yelled. The echo of his shout made the walls vibrate. Everyone hunched up their shoulders, as they were startled by the thundering voice.

The robot's eyes lit up red: Nemisis was scanning the coin. The laser scanners from the ceiling chandelier were also sweeping the Moai stones from bottom to top. He suddenly turned around and walked toward one of the four stones. He went behind it and clicked the coin into a round slot. The eyes of the four sculptures suddenly activated.

"So he figured it out very quickly. Of course, he's a computer, he can solve a puzzle pretty fast," Jesse was thinking.

In the middle of the room, a hologram formed. The lights coming out of the Moai eyes were projecting it under the dome.

"So this is it... the map to the other dimension..." the cyborg slowly walked to the center of the room, right under the middle of the map. He started looking up and scanning every detail of it. "It's the same one that you showed me, Jesse... What about the path to get there? There is no indication about that!"

"There is, but it takes a little bit for it to show up..." Jesse was eagerly waiting for the moment when one of the Moai heads would start shooting up the laser light... "Come on, my friend, give me a blast..." Jesse thought to himself. He slowly pushed April backwards, away from the center of the room, closer to the Moai rocks. All the other Star Sheriffs understood his move and did the same.

Suddenly, Nemisis realized what was going to happen. Apparently, his computer was extremely capable of analyzing information, but he was not very good at predicting data. He could not sense or anticipate very well the future. So the fact that he had seen the laser light coming out of that Moai head on Yuma, apparently didn't click until now... It could all turn very wrong if that light pointed out inside his dome...

As he was standing in the middle of the room, the robot made a quick move, with the intent of jumping away, to get to the Moai head and remove the coin as fast as he could.

"You set me up, Star Sheriffs!" he yelled. But he didn't have another second...

In an instant, all four Moai heads burst into a flash of powerful lasers. The light converged right in the top middle point of the domed ceiling, where the chandelier was hanging from. The heavy structure dislocated from the hanger and collapsed right on top of the cyborg, crushing him down and breaking the glass floor underneath... In the blink of an eye, Nemisis's corpse inside the crystal casket pulverized... Everyone jumped outwards and ran behind the big sculptures, to hide from the debris and explosions.

"He is falling right into his own master frame!" April shouted.

"Yes, we destroyed his central computer, AND his body!" Colt replied.

"Aaaargh!..." the last echo of Nemisis resonated out everywhere... People on the planet could hear the sounds coming from this underground bunker. Everyone rushed out to find out what was going on...

The room was shaking... The floor was trembling. The lasers from the Moai heads pierced through the thick ceiling and emerged outside, into the dark sky of the Outrider Planet.

A big piece of ceiling fell down into the crater below. The floor was cracking... The master frame underneath them started burning. Explosions were shaking the floor.

"We have to run, now! Start your jet-packs!" Saber Rider yelled.

Another piece of ceiling fell down, very close to one of the Moai heads. Fireball protected Claudia, while she screamed in fear. The piece that fell created another opening in the sky.

"Let's move out through here!" Fireball shouted out to everyone.

They all took off in their jet packs. Saber Rider was holding Sincia tight, Colt was lifting up Robin, Fireball was flying with Claudia, while Jesse had April hanging tight to him.

Locals were gathered in the distance, looking up in curiosity at the strong lasers coming out from the crater.

"Run, everybody!" Saber Rider shouted. "This place is going to blow up! Run away from here!"

Everyone started running away... In the distance, a ship was approaching the planet, ready to land...

 

* * *

"Oh, what's going on there?" Prince Roland exclaimed, while his ship was approaching the Outrider Planet. He was coming to rescue the girls.

Looking through his starship windshield, he saw a strong light coming out of the planet, pointing far out into the space.

"This must be the Moai head guiding light they were talking about!" he thought. His board computers quickly calculated and recorded the trajectory. "Where is this going? I hope the Star Sheriffs are still here... I've got to bring the girls back to Yuma!"

He started the landing maneuvers. His ship was descending into the planet's atmosphere.

All of a sudden, a big explosion on the planet threw a wave of debris and fire up towards his ship...

"Oh, no! I hope they are fine!" the Prince was very disturbed. "Star Sheriffs! Please respond!"

"Hey, Prince Roland, what's up with you here? Couldn't sleep well in your own Royal bed tonight?" That was Colt, with his typical merry mood. Two Ramrod ships emerged out of smoke and debris and lifted up into the sky.

Prince R: "Star Sheriffs! Are you alright?"

Saber Rider: "Yes, your highness! We are fine, we just escaped a terrible blast!"

"We destroyed Nemisis, once and for all!" Fireball exclaimed.

Prince R: "Unbelievable! Extraordinary! Now... where is Jesse? Is he with you?"

"I'm here," Jesse replied in his typical calm and confident voice.

Prince R: "Jesse, you may or you may not know, but you are transporting..."

"Three fugitive girls...?" Claudia cut his sentence, giggling.

Prince R: "Hey, you are here too!"

Saber Rider: "All three of them are fine, right here with us, your highness. I'm sure everyone on Yuma is worried about them. Did you come to bring them back?"

Prince R: "That's right! Let's go home, everyone!"

Jesse: "Um... what about the path to the new dimension...?"

Colt: "We lost it, pard!... Can't do anything about it... Sorry..."

Prince R: "I actually recorded the laser coordinates, before the explosion."

Jesse: "You did? Can you send them to me?"

"Are you planning to take me there?" April was now inside Ramrod I, next to Jesse.

"Why not? We'll let everyone else go home and we'll hit the road!" he laughed.

"Not so fast, pard! Not without us!" Colt replied.

"Yet another dimension?" Sincia was very curious.

"We're not sure, Sincia. But that's our assumption," Saber Rider replied.

"I want to find out what's there!" Claudia stood up.

"Hey, hold it, Claudia, you are supposed to go home now. These are dangerous missions, you weren't even supposed to be here, to begin with!" Fireball held her hand.

"I'm not going home. And you can't force me to leave!" Claudia turned to him with an angry voice.

"I stand by my friends," Robin came next to them.

"Jumpin' tumbleweeds, Robin, we just got away from the most dangerous mission we ever had and you wanna keep on going?" Colt pulled off his cowboy hat.

"If I have to, I will go with you to the end of the Universe," said Robin with a very convinced voice.

"Ha ha, this is the most romantic love statement! You go, girl!" Jesse was laughing.

"But... what am I supposed to tell my father? Can't go back without you, ladies!" Prince Roland asked in surprise.

"Then you'll have to come with us," Sincia giggled.

"I'm afraid she is right, Prince Roland. You've got the coordinates, so you lead the way!" Jesse chuckled.

Prince Roland felt somehow that his royal authority was put under pressure. The girls were refusing to return home with him. In the same time, this was a huge opportunity to explore the unknown space. For him, to chicken out right at this moment... would be very un-royal.

"What do you say, Top Sword? Should we take a quick errand and check this out?..." Fireball asked their leader.

"Depends how quick and how far..." Saber Rider was very cautious.

"There is only one way to find out..." Jesse added.

"Exactly. We can only follow the path and see what happens," Prince Roland finally gave in.

"So, is that a "yes"?..." Jesse asked the Prince.

"Let's go, everyone! Before I change my mind!" the Prince declared.

"Right!" everyone responded.

The three ships turned around and started their turbo engines. They vanished into the hyperspace, following the new trajectory.

 

* * *

They had been traveling now for quite some time. Everyone was getting bored inside the cockpits.

"What do you say if we play some cards, folks?" Colt was eager to start a little poker game.

"I'd like to play cards, I bet I can beat you, Fireball!" Claudia was laughing.

"Can't we play on the same team? Why do you always have to be my competitor?" Fireball turned red (he was thinking about their last race).

"I guess girls like to keep us on our toes, right April?" Jesse replied from his ship, glancing at April.

"Everyone, look at this!" Prince Roland exclaimed.

All of them turned their attention outside. A circular cloud of stellar dust was guarding what appeared to be a wormhole.

"There it is!" April exclaimed.

"We found it!" Robin was astounded.

"Can't slow down, let's follow it!" Jesse encouraged everyone.

"Right! Hang tight, everyone!" Saber Rider ordered.

Sincia was buckled up next to Saber Rider, in his seat. She held tight to his body.

Robin closed her eyes... "Here we go..." she told herself and hugged Colt while he tightened their seatbelt.

Claudia looked at Fireball and they embraced each other in his seat.

Jesse was calm as ever. April was sitting next to him. He smiled in happiness. He was up for a new adventure.

 

* * *

"What happened? Where are we?" April opened her eyes. "Jesse, are you alright?" she stood up and went to his seat. "Jesse... wake up!"

"Mmmm... Hey, what... ? Did I miss something?" he also opened his eyes.

She opened her intercom and paged her friends: "Prince Roland, Saber Rider! Are you there?" Silence. Nobody answered.

"This is the map we got from the Moai heads! My data confirms the match!" Jesse was already typing on his keyboard.

"Forget about maps, Jesse! I'm really worried! I can't locate our friends! What if we got separated in a space storm or something? Ugh... I can't remember anything! Do you remember what happened after we entered the wormhole, Jesse?"

"No, it all went blank! This is very weird!" he scratched his head.

"Let's look for the wormhole gate, maybe we drifted away from them..." said April. She steered the ship around and scanned the space. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a big spark of light ignited, and Ramrod II emerged out of it, spinning around like a gyroscope.

"There they are! Saber Rider! Answer! Ooh, it probably takes some time until they'll wake up... Wait, there is Prince Roland also!" she was excited.

After a few minutes, Saber Rider opened up his voice com.

"Everyone out there? April, please confirm. This is Saber Rider."

"We are here, Top Sword! We were waiting for you to wake up. How was your nap?" April giggled.

"Uh, why did we all fall asleep?" Saber Rider was worried.

"I guess this wormhole spun us so badly, that we just lost our senses for a while." Jesse replied.

"Star Sheriffs, are you still there?" Prince Roland woke up.

"We are all here, your Highness," Saber Rider answered.

"I'm sending everyone the data from the map I have," said Jesse.

"Thanks, bud. We'll need it!" said Fireball. "April, can you scan this galaxy in front of us and figure out what's going on?"

The gigantic white galaxy hovering in front of their eyes was quite a show to watch. Everyone was looking in amazement.

"I'm not picking up any close signs of biological activity," April was frantically typing on some keyboards, inside Ramrod I.

"Let's try opening all communication channels and see if we pick up any hyperspace waves," said Saber Rider.

"I don't receive any sounds on my end," Prince Roland added.

"We might be using a system that is too modern," said April. "We are using the hyperspace intercom system, which bypasses the speed of light. But I can also try and see if we can find anything in the radio wave range, which is traveling at the same speed as light."

"How do you turn to radio?" Colt was scratching his head.

"I don't think they use that system anymore on Ramrod II, you guys are too advanced," she chuckled. "But I think I still have that on my first ship... There it is!" She pressed some buttons and turned on a radio frequency. Suddenly, static sounds started coming through.

"I don't hear anything... Just shuffle..." Fireball was disappointed.

"I'll have to point it out in different directions in space..." April was not losing her hope.

In the meantime, Jesse was looking at the holographic map that he had recorded from the Moai stones. His eyes were carefully browsing through the myriad of solar systems. He started zooming in and panning the map left and right, so he can take a better look.

"Guys, better take a look at this..." he started talking... But out of the blue, sounds started coming from the radio receiver:

"A... ear... wa... ato... eee ..."

"What? Listen to this! I think I got something!" April shouted. She was trying to fine-tune it, so she could get better reception. She managed to adjust it to a clearer sound. Human voices started coming through...

"I don't understand... Let me hear..." Colt was listening. Everyone was trying to prick up their ears.

"It's a foreign language..." Saber Rider noticed. "I don't understand the sentences, but something seems familiar... I hear words that sound like ours... I heard "atomic". Did anyone else hear that too? Prince Roland, what do you say? You know several languages, do you pick up anything that you can comprehend?"

"Yes, I heard "atomic", too... I understand that there is a war... at least I heard the word "war"... I also recognize the word "enemy". I picked up something about ..."two thousand... five hundred... and" what? "Fifty"... no... I think they said "sixty-three"... What is going on there? From the tone of their voice, it seems like there is a desperate situation and someone needs immediate help," concluded Prince Roland.

"Well then let's go and help them out!" Colt was eager to chip in.

"Easy, mavericks. I'm afraid by the time you'll get there, it will be too late. Remember, this is the speed of light we are talking about. What we hear now are distant echoes from the past, light-years away from us," April explained.

"Quite so," Jesse started. "I think I found something on the map... Whoever made this map... tagged this particular arm of the galaxy... Look, April, see? There are some tags here... When I try to zoom in, the color of this sector is different than the rest of the map."

"Yeah, I see... Let me try to find out where exactly this radio transmission comes from." She started operating her scanners on board... "It comes from this coordinate... Can you zoom in on the map there?"

"Yes, let's see..."

Everyone was waiting curiously for what they were about to discover.

"There it is... A tiny solar system... It's right in the middle of the tagged sector," Jesse confirmed.

"It's about 24.000 light years away from us, according to my calculations," said April. "We're at the outer edge of the galaxy."

"Let's hit the road, amigos! We've got many many light years to warp through," Colt was cheerful.

"Remember, Colt, you're not going to war anymore!" Robin tapped his shoulder.

"A man's got to be prepared for anything!" he laughed.

"Turbo power, on!" Fireball pulled the thrust lever. The ship was ready to go.

 

* * *

"Approaching destination," announced Prince Roland.

"Right there!" April jumped from her seat.

"Wow! A blue planet! That means there is a lot of water there!" Saber Rider was intrigued.

"Hey, I'm detecting intense biological activity! The planet might be inhabited!" April exclaimed.

"Are you sure, April?" Prince Roland asked.

"I'm positive! The scanners detect high biological activity and plenty of oxygen there. The gas and dust within the arm of the galaxy were obscuring it, so my scanners couldn't detect anything. But now that we are close..., this is it! Boys, I think we hit the jackpot!"

"Let's proceed with caution..." advised Saber Rider.

The three ships took a tour of the planet.

"Look, the planet has a moon orbiting around it!" Sincia pointed with her finger.

"Wow, watch out, pards, there is a lot of debris around here..." Colt exclaimed. Indeed, around the planet, all sorts of objects were orbiting.

"These seem to be remainings of some battleships... Look, there is another one there... Wow... This looks very creepy..." April got some shivers down her spine. Dark silhouettes of starships and broken pieces of fuselage were floating around in space.

"Hey, that other one looks like a sort of a transmission satellite... It looks very much bruised and battered..." Fireball noticed.

"I think we should try to either distance ourselves from the planet, or descend into the atmosphere. This ring of debris around it looks dangerous to me. We can get hit at any time," advised Prince Roland.

"I agree, your Highness. Let's find a spot to land."

They started descending into the atmosphere of the planet. There were some clouds, floating above what appeared to be a big ocean.

"My calculations show that this planet is about the size of Yuma planet... And the rotation and mass... is kind of in the same range... So we can talk about a similar flow of time, in terms of succession of days and nights. Even the Sun is about the same distance from it." said April.

"Yes, the optimal parameters," Saber Rider added.

"This is so pretty... Like a planet made of sapphire..." Claudia was admiring it.

"There are some big continents on it. Let's see what we can find here, ay pard's?"

Colt was so curious, he wanted to jump out in his Bronco Buster and check everything out. But he knew Robin would not approve of him leaving her alone.

"Let's go east, over on that side of this ocean. Let's see what we can find there," Saber Rider decided. "Let's stick together, chums."

While they were maneuvering the ships down, April got more data from her scanners: "I am receiving results about the composition of the planet – the core seems to be made of iron..."

"And the surface seems to be all green and bushy!" Colt added. "Come on, amigos, can we find a field or something, to land these puppies?"

"Look, over there! Guys! Come and see!" April spotted something sticking out of a big forest. It was a metal shaped tower, jutting out into the skies.

"And I see some flat land over there. Let's park, quickly!" Colt was happy.

They all carefully landed the ships and got out.

"Aaahh! Sweet daylight!" April stretched out her hands. "Isn't it beautiful here?"

"It is, indeed..." Jesse came beside her. "Where... wow, ha ha! What was that?" Something flew by him very fast.

"He he, it's a dragonfly!" Sincia giggled. "Look, there are more, there is a little pond here!"

She ran to what appeared to be a little well, with some waterlilies on it. She stopped abruptly. "What is that?"

In the middle of the well, covered in ivy and moss, a broken sculpture was emerging.

Prince Roland came next to it. He jumped in the water and took the ivy away from it.

"A human shape! It's a fountain sculpture!" he exclaimed. "That means it was made by humans!"

"But where are all the buckaroos?" Colt was confused.

"Not here anymore, Colt," replied Jesse. "They left, long time ago..."

"You don't think that..." Colt looked back at him.

"Yes, I think that we are looking at that planet Erkanos was telling us about..."

"Why would they leave such a beautiful place? It's like the jewel of the galaxy!" Claudia was disappointed.

In the meantime, April mounted on her horse, Nova, and lifted herself up, to have a better aerial view. She could not take her eyes away from that metal tower that she saw. It was so tall, that you could see it from very far.

"I recognize this tower from somewhere... But I can't just remember where from... Hey, guys, I'll go take a look at that tower. Anyone else interested?"

"We are all coming. Let's go, chums!" said Saber Rider.

Colt jumped in his Bronco Buster and Robin took the seat next to him.

Jesse jumped on Nova, behind April. Saber Rider took Sincia on Steed, and Fireball emerged in his Red Fury Racer, with Claudia next to him. Prince Roland flew a small aircraft that he brought on his ship.

They all headed toward the tower.

"This is amazing..." April was cheering. "Jesse, I can't wait to tell my daddy about this place! Let's land over there, at the base."

Nova descended to the bottom of the tower, next to one of the four sustaining pillars. April looked up... "Hey, go up again, I see some inscriptions..."

There were some words inscribed all around the tower...

"This is the same alphabet as ours!" she exclaimed. "Guys, take a look at this!"

Saber Rider came by, on his horse, and started reading out loud: "...Cuvier, Laplace, Dulong, Chasles, Lavoisier, Ampere... These seem to be some sort of names... Is this a memorial place...?"

April went a little bit higher, to the next level of the tower, where the base was smaller. There was a deck there.

"Careful, April, this structure is very old, it can collapse, don't get too close to it," Jesse was trying to protect her.

"Don't worry, Jesse... Wow, look, another inscription! She got close to it... and read it: "Tour Eiffel"

She looked at it perplexed... She could not believe it... Now she knew exactly where she remembered this tower from... She grew up on planet Paris... in the southern arm of her galaxy. Her parents moved out of there to planet Yuma, when she was four years old... because her father was in the Cavalry Command. So she didn't have too many memories from there. But one thing that remained somewhere in her subconsciousness was this image of a very tall tower, same shape as this one, in the middle of a crowded city on her planet... And it was called... Eiffel Tower!

She guided Nova around the deck and dusted off some very rusty inscriptions... Under a metal beam, protected from sun and wind, there was a little plaque, made of shiny steel.. It read "Paris, année 2490/ liberté, égalité, fraternité"

She started crying... This was too much... She even found the name of her own... planet? Jesse, behind her on the horse, sensed that she was sobbing.

"What is it, April?"

She pulled Nova down to the base of the tower and got off her horse. Everyone gathered around her. She turned around and leaned with her forehead against the metal structure... She could not stop crying.

"Hey, cheer up, ma'am. It's just a pile of scrap metal!" Colt tried to lighten up the atmosphere.

"It's not, Colt! This is the history of my ancestors... This is where the people on my planet come from!... And now... there is nobody here... Just forests and dust..." she continued crying... "This, this is... the Eiffel tower... from Paris..."

Saber Rider gasped. He knew about the famous tower. He had visited Planet Paris with his parents, many years ago. It was a very stylish place to spend a vacation. Everyone there was always nicely dressed and people spoke with a beautiful accent. No wonder April was always in the mood for buying fancy clothes! He remembered how she once made Fireball carry all her shopping boxes.

"The original Eiffel Tower! There it is!" Saber Rider was impressed.

Prince Roland was also astonished: "I can't wait to tell my father about this! He will be thrilled!"

Jesse hugged April. She wiped her tears and tried to cheer up.

"Hey, look, there is some sort of hole in the ground here! Come quickly!" Claudia and Robin shouted. They traveled under the tower and reached the opposite base pillar.

Everyone ran to them.

"It's an excavation site!" Jesse gasped. "And it's fairly fresh!"

"It might be an animal that dug for shelter or food," Colt was in doubt.

"It's not, Colt. I grew up with two archaeologists around me. I know how to make a difference between the diggings of a badger and a human. Plus, look, they left markers all around the place. They are charting it."

"Guys, we are not alone here!" Fireball touched his blaster.

Suddenly, they heard shuffle sounds coming from the forest. Everyone stood still. Fireball pulled his gun. Jesse came next to Fireball and pushed his arm down. He had a feeling about this...

A couple of silhouettes appeared from behind a tree...

"Whoever you are, come out peacefully!" Fireball shouted, trying to lift his blaster up again.

Jesse walked in front of Fireball and headed toward the source of the sound.

"Sylvia and Travis?" Jesse shouted out.

"Jesse?" a thin woman with a long blue hair came out from behind a tree...

Jesse fell down on his knees, with an astonished look... From behind the woman, a tall man with cat-like eyes showed up.

"Jesse!" the woman ran straight to him.

"Mom...! Dad..." Jesse was overwhelmed in joy... The three people embraced each other in happiness.

All his friends were watching them with absolute amazement. How did these two people get here? It took the Star Sheriffs a lot of adventures and a lot of courage to get so far...

"How did you get here? When? How...?" Jesse didn't have enough words to ask.

"My dear son..." his mom was touching his cheeks. "You grew up into a handsome man..."

"Where do you live? How did you survive here?..." Jesse kept asking.

"We... exhausted all the fuel... and couldn't return... We just survive here... all alone..." his father answered... "Let's go to our place..., we have a lot to talk about..."

"Father, these are my friends... April..., Colt, Fireball, Prince Roland, Saber Rider... and Sincia..., Robin..., Claudia..."

"You have a lot of friends, my dear! Nice to meet you all! I'm Sylvia Blue, Jesse's mother, as you all probably realized... and this is Travis..."

"Very, very nice to meet you all! I'm Travis Blue, Jesse's father." He started shaking everyone's hands. "Saber Rider, you are a legend! Everyone heard about you, I'm sure you have gone through many more brave adventures since we left our dimension."

"We all did, mister Blue. But your presence here is quite a surprise too! Let's go and talk more about this!"

Colt was rubbing his eyes in awe. First he found his parents... now it was Jesse's turn...

"Come, this way!" Jesse's mother guided everyone through the forest.

"I see you cut some trails through the woods here!" Colt noticed. "Aren't you afraid you might get attacked by wild animals? This place looks kind of shaggy..."

"There are no animals here," Travis answered.

"What do you mean no animals?" Colt was mad.

"Yes, there is not much left here, just plants and ruins of an old civilization."

"You mean there are no people either?" Prince Roland asked.

"We didn't find anyone. All we have is the vegetation," said Sylvia.

"So then... how did all these sculptures and constructions show up? Who made them?" Fireball was very confused.

"They were done by the people who used to live here," Sylvia continued.

"What happened to them?" Robin asked.

"There was a... catastrophic atomic event..." Travis sighed.

April's eyes were becoming larger and larger... She started connecting all the dots...: "It all makes sense! When we were out in space, we received radio transmissions from here... and we understood something about an... "atomic"... "war"...

She held her fists on her heart... and stopped walking...: "And it all happened about twenty-four thousand years ago! Because we were 24,000 light years away from the planet when we received the radio transmission!"

"That is precisely correct." Travis replied.

All of them were looking down in silence...

"This is what war brings... Passing into nothingness..." Saber Rider broke the silence, after a few minutes.

"This is what Nemisis wanted to achieve in our dimension, too..." Fireball clenched his fist.

"It's all over... The war is finally over..." Claudia hugged him.

"Look, a river!" Sincia pointed out with her finger.

"Yes, it's called the Seine River," Sylvia responded.

"Wow, you know a lot of stuff about this place!" Prince Roland was interested.

"You wouldn't believe how much history is buried under these forests," Travis continued. "Look over to that riverbank, see some rocks under those ivy bushes? That used to be a museum. And right in front of us, over the bridge, there used to be a beautiful garden."

"How do you know all this?" Robin asked the key question.

"Well, we found some electronic maps and books... Someone had the brilliant idea of recording as much as they could about humanity on platinum and gold discs. We found them inside some bunkers, underground. There were also a few drifting away in space, among other planets. They sent some capsules out in space, hoping that some day an intelligent alien species will find them."

"If there were bunkers, couldn't some people survive there after the bombings?" Colt asked.

"They probably did, but the radiation on the surface most have probably killed everyone, when they tried to get out. According to our measurements, the radiation lasted for quite a while, some thousands of years. Only certain plant species and some insects adapted to this environment. Oh, and some marine creatures, too." Travis added.

"Wow, these guys seriously fried up the place," Fireball concluded.

"Very powerful blasts, indeed..." Sylvia replied.

"Why..., what in the Universe could turn these people so violent?..." Fireball questioned.

"It was a complicated war, with lots of regions involved... They called these regions "countries". We spent ten years on this planet to study their history..." Sylvia took a deep breath. "But basically, it was all about greed, power and clash of personalities and ideologies. The leaders were arrogant and dominant toward one another."

"Yeah, I think I've heard that story quite recently," Colt was being sarcastic.

April started talking: "I saw a plaque on the Eiffel tower, saying something about Paris, then a word I didn't understand … "année" then a number... "2490" then I guess the other word was... "liberty" but spelled differently...

"Yes, that was "Paris, année 2490/ liberté, égalité, fraternité" right?" Travis confirmed.

"Right. What does it mean?" April asked.

"That is year 2490 in Paris. Liberty, equality, brotherhood" - this is the motto of this country, France. There was an important peace treaty signed here during that year, an alliance between many countries," said Travis.

"France? That's why the people on Planet Paris call themselves "French?" April was trying to lift the mystery.

"That's right..." And there are many more planets named after places here. Basically, when the new settlers arrived into our dimension, they named the planets after different places from where they came: Alamo... Yuma... Durango... and so on...

"What about the Texas Planet?" Colt anxiously asked. That's where he was born.

"Yes, Texas is a state, part of United States of America..." continued Travis.

"United States? Wow, that sounds very fancy!" Colt was proud of himself.

"What about this planet we are on right now? Does THIS planet have a name?" Claudia asked.

"This planet is called Earth, which literally means "ground", replied Sylvia.

"Or Terra. This is an ancient name, though," Travis completed.

"I like Terra better. That's how I'm going to call it," said Jesse.

"We're almost home," said Sylvia.

In front of their eyes, an opening in the forest was starting to appear. Behind some trees, some rocks and boulders were guarding an entrance.

"What is this place?" Sincia asked.

"It used to be a hotel. All the buildings on Earth have been flattened, during the bombardments. Then a lot of them got covered in mud and dirt, along so many thousands of years. But some of them kept their underground structure. We found a few basements where we could live in. This one was fairly clean and free of debris. We worked hard to remove all the dust and broken stuff, and we installed our lab here too."

"Wow..." April looked up to the ceiling, as they descended some stairs. "These guys were decorating even their basements... This looks very nice..."

Prince Roland, who had been raised in a palace all his life, was very surprised to see that other places could have painted ceilings and fancy architecture.

"We found videos from that period, also. You'll be surprised at how advanced these guys were. Prince Roland, you won't want to miss seeing their castles and museums. And Versailles... oh what a beautiful place..." Sylvia sighed.

The Prince's eyes were glowing in curiosity.

"Did you ever get to discover anything Scottish?" Saber Rider was very eager to find out about that too.

"Oh, yes... Absolutely, it's all on this planet," Travis replied.

"Where? Can we go now?" Saber Rider jumped.

"It's not quite around the corner, we have to take a ship to get there. Look, see this map?" Travis pointed on a map they had, mounted on a wall. "This is where Scotland is, and this is where we are."

"A-ha... I see..." Saber Rider was staring at the piece of land. "So, France was a "country"... and Scotland was another one... and..."

"Yes, see these dotted lines? These were the borders between the countries."

"I want to find Akita. Is that a country?" Fireball jumped into the discussion.

"No, it's a city in Japan," Sylvia replied.

"Japan? Like the Japanese dialect on my planet?" Fireball was curious.

"Yes, that's correct," Sylvia was very proud to answer all their questions.

"I'm from planet Rome!" proudly declared Claudia. "Where could that be on the map?"

"Right about... here... in Italy!" Travis tapped his finger on the map.

"So I'm Italian!" she smiled proudly.

"Guess what, guys, I found my country!" Sincia exclaimed. "I'm from... Poland!"

"Let me see, where is that?" Saber Rider came near her.

She pointed a city to him: "See, Lublin, it's the planet I was born on."

"I found it, I found mine too!" Robin started cheering. "Right next to you, Sincia! I was born on planet Berlin, it's close to your border. I'm from Germany!"

"My German lady..." Colt held her tight.

Everyone was gathered in front of the map, gazing at every little detail.

"Where is Alamo? That is Prince Roland's planet, right?" Jesse asked.

The Prince was leaning against a wall, with his arms crossed: "My family ancestry does not start there. I'm born on Alamo, but my great-great grandparents are from planet Quebec, which is also part of the Kingdom of Jarre."

"So that should be your place of origin." Jesse concluded.

"Where could that be...?" everyone was curious now.

"It's right up here, in Canada." replied Travis.

Prince Roland could not resist the curiosity and joined everyone else. He looked at the map and replied proudly: "That must have been a mighty country. Look how big it is."

"Mom, where is our country?" Jesse's curiosity was ready to burst.

"Ugh...," Sylvia exhaled. "I was sure you were going to inquire about that, at some point..."

"Why, what's the matter? I want to know!" he frowned.

"See, Jesse, we don't really have a clear origin... It's a bit of everything and a tiny bit of a mutation also..." Travis started explaining.

"What do you mean? I don't understand..." Jesse was confused.

"Well... we were born on a planet that is not part of the initial colonies. It's a fairly new place, with inhabitants from many other planets..., immigrants. The first settlers called it after their old planet, Moscow. So... they named this planet "New Moscow". But then other settlers came, from other planets, primarily from Akita, because that was the closest to our system. Also, we got some populations from planet Amman, Corinth, Cairo, Beijing. So we are really a mix of genes. And on top of that, the environment on our planet put a spin to our evolution. As you can see, we have blue hair, which nobody else here does. It's a genetic mutation," Travis explained.

"So people here on Terra didn't have blue hair?" Jesse frowned again.

"Not unless they dyed it!" his mother replied. "Which they did, actually. They dyed their hair in all sorts of colors, just because it was trendy and chic."

April ruffled Jesse's hair and chuckled: "He he, you are a real alien, Jesse!"

"Yes, I really am, for this planet," he laughed out loud.

"Would you like to eat something?" Sylvia asked. "I apologize in advance for not having any kind of meat, except some fish, whenever we go out fishing on the Seine. So our food is really vegan today, but I can assure you that it tastes good."

"I'm hungry! Even a cactus would be good today!" Colt exclaimed. Then he looked over at Jesse, from under his cowboy hat. Jesse sensed his piercing eyes and looked back. He remembered immediately his old joke and where Colt was hinting. He started laughing hard.

"Yep, make sure to peel the thorns away, cowboy!" Jesse was holding his belly from too much chortle.

"I thought you wanted me to swallow the whole cactus, no?" Colt was giggling.

"I changed my mind!" Jesse laughed.

Everyone got contaminated by their laughter now. A good way to start their journey on old planet Earth.

After they all ate dinner, they gathered outside and made a beautiful bondfire. The sun was starting to set.

"It's so awkward, there are no sounds in the forest... No birds..., no animals..., just the wind in the trees..." Colt noticed.

"Yes... And some insects..., which are actually annoying...!" and Sylvia started scratching, because of some mosquito bites.

"Ugh, can't get rid of mosquitoes, even here?" Colt realized that one bit him, too, and he slapped his arm in discontentment.

"Well, they took all the genetic seeds from here, and tried to recreate everything when they left, including mosquitoes," Sylvia winked at Colt.

"So they had the advanced technology to leave the planet, but I'm not sure I understand how they got so far into the universe. They travelled thousands of light years away, to other dimensions..." Saber Rider scratched his head.

"That is something we could not figure out either..." Travis replied. "There is no mention anywhere in our archaeological findings, about hyperspace technology, like ours. They could reach almost the speed of light, but not more than that. It would have been impossible for them to get so far. I really don't have the answer. But... there is something we have not been able to decipher, on this planet, and maybe there we'll find the answer."

"What? Where?" April was curious.

"It's an underground location, but the entrance has a huge ciphered disc, like a sort of a vault disc. You'll see, we'll go there tomorrow. It's impossible to open, though..."

"Where is this?" Fireball asked.

"In Geneva, close to us," Travis answered.

Everyone was looking down at the fire, immersed in their own thoughts.

 

* * *

We'll find out what our friends will discover under Geneva, on our next adventure of Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs!

 


	12. Episode 64 - What Time Is It?

It was a beautiful sunny morning. Colt lifted his head up from his bed. Ramrod II had better beds – a little bit larger and more comfortable to sleep in.

"Yaaaahhh" Colt yawned and stretched. "Hey, Robin? Where is everybody else?"

He stood up and looked out his window. Everyone was outside, chatting.

"Oh, they're always early birds... Gotta rush and get out there... I don't wanna miss a bit!" Colt got out of his bed. He jumped into the shower and then rushed out to dress up, then he skipped the coffee and stormed out to greet his friends. Everybody was sitting on the grass, cracking jokes and enjoying the gorgeous weather.

"Good morning everyone! What time is it?" Colt opened his conversation.

"Yuma time, or Alamo time?" Robin chuckled.

"Earth time, please..." Colt insisted.

"A... let me think... By the position of the sun...I would say it's about... noontime...?" Jesse lifted up his eyebrows...

"No way, did I sleep until noon?" Colt was upset.

Everybody started laughing.

"That's alright, Colt. You had a rough day yesterday," Fireball patted him on his back.

Jesse's parents were there too. They had woken up earlier and traveled through the forest to where the Star Sheriffs had their ships parked.

"So where should we go today, mom?" Jesse continued an earlier conversation.

"Let's go to the Geneva site. We left some unfinished excavations there," she answered.

"Do you still have fuel for traveling around Earth?" Saber Rider asked Jesse's parents.

Travis turned to him and said: "We exhausted the original fuel. When we arrived here, ten years ago, we were almost desperate we were not going to make it, I mean, ...to land on the planet. But fortunately, we did. And then, once we got here, we used the emergency water-solar engine, which works just fine for moving around here. It's enough to take us to where we want to go on the planet. But, as you all know, it cannot replace the turbo supply of the hyperspace engines. We remained stuck here, on Earth, unable to jump the space to get back home. I still can't believe you guys are here, and that we are talking to you. Jesse... until this day, we never stopped worrying about you, blaming each other for this unforgivable error of not planning our mission properly..."

Jesse sighed and looked at his father through the corner of his eyes: "I used to think you left me because you cared more about your work..."

Travis lowered his head in guilt... "We do care about you, Jesse..."

Jesse continued, interrupting his father: "But as I grew up, I got more and more convinced you faced some trouble somewhere along the way and you were not able to return. But I never lost hope. I knew how advanced you were with your research. I always imagined you arrived to a beautiful and mysterious place, and you found all the answers to your questions."

"Oh, Jesse..." his mother sighed. " We never stopped thinking about you... We were so worried about your future, what will happen to you, what career path you will choose... We missed all the important decisions in your life... At some point, we even broke up, we lived separately for about a year, because we were getting into constant daily fights about who's to blame for this failure..."

"Ma'am, some things are just happening for a reason... I think... Maybe it needed to be this way, so we can find you..." said Colt, patting her on the back.

"Maybe... So, what did you do after we disappeared?" she asked Jesse.

"Umm, I left high school and went to the Cavalry Command..." he replied hesitantly. He didn't want to open this conversation.

"And you became a Star Sheriff!" his father exclaimed in excitement. "See, I told you, Sylvia, he found his way through!"

Jesse didn't reply. He blushed in embarrassment and looked down. Everyone around kept quiet, in an attempt cover him up.

"You didn't get into some kind of trouble, did you?" Sylvia asked. After all these years, she was still his mother, and she knew exactly how to read her boy. That look on his face was quite eloquent.

"I... umm... I actually did..." he scratched an eyebrow and squinted in abashment.

"How bad was it?" Sylvia looked at him with that mother look you can never forget.

Travis was frowning also. But he was rather in disbelief, than anything else.

"Well, ma'am, bad enough to stir up the entire dimension... I would say he was the second worst enemy I ever had, after Nemisis," Colt broke the silence.

April rolled her eyes and threw Colt a long glance. "Seriously, Colt, did you really have to break the news the hard way?" she thought to herself. Colt saw her look and shrugged at her. He could not keep his mouth shut about this. Even if he had just shaken hands and made peace with Jesse, the past was still there, biting back at him.

Sylvia gasped and looked at her son in anger: "What in the world did you do? I know you used to be quite a sassy boy when you were young!" then she turned to Saber Rider and asked him: "Did he go to prison, or what?"

"No, Mrs. Blue, he didn't," Saber Rider chuckled. "And he is a good fellow now." He tried to keep the information to a minimum.

"A good fellow? What does that mean?" she insisted.

"He's not with the outriders anymore, he is with us, the humans!" Robin naively tried to explain, but she only made things worse.

"Out-Riders?" Sylvia yelled in fury. "You... betrayed us for the outriders?"

"He did, and he went on to become Nemisis's second in command, for a few years," Fireball continued. "He was quite an enemy; he almost got me killed one time, not to mention leaving serious bruises on Colt, several times. Quite a thorn in our side. We almost lost the war with Nemisis, because of him...". Obviously, Fireball was still bearing a grudge against Jesse, and it was easy to see that. Jesse looked at Fireball and saw the anger sparks in his eyes. He realized he had to still work on improving his relations with the Star Sheriffs.

"Yes, quite a rival he was," Saber Rider added, with a respectful chivalry. "But, it all ended very well for all of us, as he is back on our side," he tried to calm down the conversation.

Jesse looked at Saber Rider with a thankful look. He felt that he could become true friends with him. Perhaps Saber Rider pays a deep respect to him, because he saved his life.

"How can something like this end very well? I would never forgive such a behavior! You should be behind bars now, son!" Travis suddenly became very mad.

Jesse held his head in his palms and looked down. Then he looked up again, at his parents: "Sorry, mom, dad... But I do have an explanation for all of this mess..."

April stood up and started talking: "I know it's hard to ingest so much news about your son in such a short time... But there is indeed an explanation, and I'm sure you, as scientists, would understand it."

"I wonder what that explanation would be... Please enlighten us..." Sylvia replied sarcastically and crossed her arms on her chest.

"Now, I know what April is going to tell ya', but ma'am, believe me, it all comes down to... love..." Colt made a prankish face and patted Sylvia on her back.

"Oh, you... dangler! Always in need of another leg-pull!" April threw a few little fist punches into Colt's shoulder.

"Don't mind him, Colt's like that all the time..." Robin rolled her eyes.

"Auch, that's my bad shoulder, don't touch it!" Colt jumped away.

"I guess my son broke your shoulder, didn't he?" said Sylvia, with another sarcastic glance at her son.

"Yeah, that's alright, it's almost healed, just the pain has to go away..." and Colt looked at Jesse.

"Probably the pain in your heart has to go away, too..." thought Jesse to himself. "I get it... cowboy..."

Travis looked back at April with a curious look. Jesse had exactly his father's eyes. "So, ...what's the mystery behind our son's criminal record?..." asked Travis.

"It actually all comes down to a virus, invented by Nemisis, and Jesse was contaminated with it," April started explaining.

"A virus?... How is that possible?" Travis was taken by surprise.

"Yes, a virus that turned Jesse almost into an outrider. He even had the ability to jump dimensions... Meaning... vaporize... like the bushwackers..." Colt explained.

Sylvia stared at her son with a flabbergasted face: "How did you get contaminated?..."

"I never knew I was... until I was told so... by Nemisis himself..." said Jesse. "Some sort of bugs or nanobots or something..."

"Wow, that Nemisis is unbelievable! I thought we took him down. When we left, ten years ago, there was no sign of him. How did he come back?" Travis was confused.

"My father defeated him, 16 years ago," Fireball spoke. "But he was able to survive and transfer his brain to a computer, so he came back as a cyborg, more powerful..."

"Oh my...! And he started playing with viruses..." Travis concluded.

"With small bugs, but also with big bugs, like Renegade units..." Fireball replied.

"So you were a human-outrider sort of mix, for a while... Were you still able to have feelings? Outriders are notorious for being very insensitive..." Travis looked at his son.

"I was... having a lot of human feelings, actually..." and Jesse looked at April. She blushed.

"See, I told you it all comes down to love!" Colt squeaked in joy.

"Oh boy, here we go again..." Fireball covered his face, embarrassed by Colt's behavior, while everyone else was sniggering.

"How did you get treated? I mean... I hope you are not still infected, are you?" Sylvia asked cautiously.

"No... I'm not..."

"See... I keep telling you it's all going to come to love, and you still don't believe me! Listen how he got treated!" Colt was victoriously rubbing his palms.

Jesse scratched his head in abashment. Sincia and Claudia were giggling behind him.

"Okay... shall we try to hit the road to Geneva...?" April tried to steer the conversation away.

Everyone started laughing. Sylvia saw April's red cheeks and figured out that pushing this story too far would bring some embarrassing conversations, so she said:

"Alright, I get it, I get it! I'm done with questions," she raised her hands up. "One mystery at a time, right Travis?"

"I'm kind of dying to know how you got treated in the end, but we can have a conversation in private later, right?" and he looked at his son.

"Yeah, dad, whatever..." Jesse mumbled, in a low voice.

"So..., should we all take our ships to get to Geneva?" Prince Roland interfered.

"Right, let's each take our units, come on everyone!" Saber Rider stood up.

All of them got up and rushed to their ships. Sylvia and Travis went to their own ship and they all took off.

 

* * *

They were all flying above the clouds... The trip was really fast, just a few minutes and they arrived above what looked like a lake.

"This looks so pretty! Look, there are some very tall mountains, in the distance," Sincia pointed with a finger.

"Yes, indeed. Now, let's find a place to land..." Saber Rider was scanning the area.

"There is a little spot where we usually land ," Travis indicated a coordinate on the map. "I'm sending you the location."

In a few minutes, all ships were landing. They all got out and Sylvia went ahead of everyone:

"This way! We have to walk a little bit through the woods. Come!"

"Where are we going?" Colt asked.

"This place we wanted to show you," Travis answered.

"Can't wait to get there! I like mysterious stuff!" Colt rubbed his palms.

"Speaking about mysterious things, how did you guys find the two wormholes to arrive in this dimension?" Jesse asked his parents.

"What do you mean two? There's only one!" Travis exclaimed.

"That's impossible, we came through two passages! We had to go through the outrider dimension to get here!" Colt replied.

Sylvia scratched her head: "You found a different way? How is that possible?"

"Mom, do you remember giving me that coin a long time ago?" Jesse asked.

"Yes, an ancient artifact. We never figured out what it was used for," Travis replied instead.

"Well, we humans had one, and outriders had another one..." Saber Rider interrupted.

"Outriders had one? But, but... but they are aliens, another species, how did they …?" Sylvia was astounded.

"They are a branch of humans that got separated from us, when they left this planet, apparently. They adapted to their new dimension, that's why they have a different DNA structure and they can vaporize," Jesse explained.

"Unbelievable!" Travis jumped up in joy, while they were walking down a trail in the woods. "Sylvia, another mystery solved!"

"Yes, dad, and the coin is a key that fits into the Moai heads on planet Yuma. They show the map of the Terra dimension and the path to get here. The outriders also have Moai heads, and their coin activated their own maps. That's how we got here. But how in the Universe did YOU get here?"

"Wow! Totally different than our path! We traveled outside the New Frontier. We exited through the eastern sector and went beyond the border of the Frontier. In the X45 galaxy, there is a little planet that showed signs of human activity. We found a small community there, living in a semi-ancient civilization, totally unaware of the existence of other humans in the Universe. They gave us quite a welcome, they thought we were Gods sent from above... They brought us to this awkward castle, on top of a mountain, and asked us to revive the God living in that castle... What they were referring to was actually an ancient robot, part of a dismantled space ship. We found data recorded on a platinum disc inside it; we managed to download all the data from the robot and found maps leading to a wormhole, and here we are right now... We found also some images and names of the people that used that robot. Apparently, they discovered the hyperspace turbo power to travel intergalactically. They used it to find this planet and establish a base there, after they fled from Earth."

"Interesting... So that means that there were several groups that left Earth and spread in different directions..." Fireball concluded.

"Here we are, we arrived," Sylvia interrupted the conversation and pointed out to a rusty metal disc that was coming out of a massive concrete structure, covered in moss and ivy.

Everyone looked up at this building that was blocking their advance through the forest. The disc had several concentric discs underneath. The size of the disc was impressive: a few stories tall.

April jumped in front of everyone, holding a scanner in her hand: "I am detecting activity inside! There might be something in there!"

"My leapin' lizards! What is it?" Colt held his hat in his hands.

"I don't know! I can't really tell. This metal wall is very thick, I can't tell if it's a biological activity, or just a reflection from the metal structure..." April replied.

"How do we open this?" Prince Roland looked up.

"That is the magic question..." Sylvia replied. "We've been scanning this thing, we tried to drill into it, but we really don't have anything powerful enough to penetrate it."

"I say we throw a little gunpowder under it!" Colt raised his hand.

"Oh, Colt, always ready to blast something!" Robin puffed in anger.

"We believe it's a vault, with a sort of a cipher... But it's so old that the rust stiffened the locks. We have no means of unlocking it..." Travis was sad.

"Yes we do!" April jumped.

"Are you thinking of the same thing..." Saber Rider looked at her.

"I think we can use..." April continued...

"Ramrod!" all four Star Sheriffs exclaimed.

"But what about the cipher code? How can we figure that out? Even if we use one of the Ramrods, we still need to dial the code!" Jesse was pessimistic.

"Remember the numbers we heard over the radio transmission? That was the year when the war took place... I think..." Prince Roland said. "I remember we heard two thousand five hundred and sixty three... Let's try that combination..."

"Alright! Let's do it, chums!" Saber Rider exclaimed in excitement. They all rushed back to one of the ships. They all entered Ramrod II, which had the most powerful engine.

After everyone got inside, they activated the Ramrod transformation sequence.

"Let's see what this little doll can do!" Colt was enjoying the moment.

"See, Colt? We can use more peaceful methods," Robin lashed out at him.

"I think we need to pour some lubricant fluid on it, before we even try to open it up," Jesse suggested.

"Right, let's try to use some of the fluid from Ramrod. I have some extra reserve in the back," April typed something on her keyboard. Ramrod made a turn in the air and some traps opened behind it's engines on its back. The oil poured right on top of the vault. The dark oil revealed the numbers engraved on the metal structure.

"Guys, I see the numbers. Let's move the dials and see what happens..." said April.

"Activate the dynamics control..." Saber Rider ordered. "Easy..., let's move the first disc..."

Ramrod II was using its hands to rotate the different discs and to dial the numbers... 2...5...6...3...

"It's not moving... This last one is stuck... Ugh..." Fireball was frustrated.

"Try a little harder... Use both hands..." Saber Rider suggested.

"Ughhh... Easy... That's it! Hey, I felt a jolt in the door... Is it... un...locked...?" Fireball whispered. Claudia was holding his hand tight...

"Guys, it's open! The vault is open! Let's pull the door!" April exclaimed.

Sincia was holding her breath. Robin came next to her and they were both looking out the window with a frightened curiosity...

Ramrod II slowly pulled the vault door... A dim light emerged from inside the vault.

"Light inside? There is someone in there! How is that possible? Who could survive for twenty-four thousand years?!" Colt was astonished.

Fireball stood up from his seat and rushed to the window: "I cannot believe it!"

Prince Roland turned around and rushed to get out the door.

"Prince, stop!" Saber Rider grabbed his arm. "We have to land Ramrod somewhere safe, behind the entrance, then proceed with caution. We don't know what might come out of there... Colt, you come with me and we'll scout the inside. Everyone else stay here."

"Right..." the Prince replied.

"Be careful, Saber Rider..." Sincia rushed to hold his hand.

"I will, don't worry Sincia!"

"I'll be back, Robin!" Colt kissed his girlfriend on her cheek.

"Watch out, Colt!" she replied with a worried look.

The giant Ramrod robot walked carefully around the entrance, then kneeled and slowly turned back into the ship form. Saber Rider and Colt emerged in their jet packs. Everyone inside the ship was holding their breath, in expectance of the news.

"Colt, you take the left side, I'll cover the right," Saber Rider instructed his colleague.

"Right, Top Sword. We've got to be very careful..."

The two Star Sheriffs slowly walked toward the entrance, holding their guns up.

Travis opened the comm-link and asked them: "Saber Rider, Colt, please use the least amount of force, if possible. We want to keep everything intact."

"I will do my best, sir!" Colt replied, with an amused voice. Then he started walking slowly toward the entrance. The vault door was cracked open. Colt came from behind it, while Saber Rider was coming from the opposite direction. "Do you see anything, Top Sword?" Colt asked Saber Rider.

No response from the Star Sheriff leader.

"Hey, Top Sword, what do you see?" Colt popped his head from behind the vault door, and looked at Saber Rider. But Saber Rider was mute. He had a stunned look on his face... "Wha... what is it? What...?" Colt jumped out and pointed his gun inside the opened door. "Whoaaaaa...!" Colt exclaimed in a big surprise.

"What is it, what do you see? Tell us! Guys!" April yelled over the comm-link, after hearing Colt's interjections. Everyone stood up inside the control room at Ramrod. They all felt shivers down their spines. Colt's "whoa!" could mean anything, good or bad...

"Better come and take a look at this, amigos!" Colt started talking.

"This sounds like Colt discovered more gold than he ever dreamed of!" Fireball laughed. "Is it a gold mine, Colt?"

"Gold doesn't even face the discovery we have made today, gentlemen!" Saber Rider finally spoke.

"We are coming, Top Sword, wait for us!" Fireball's impulsive nature rushed him to go out there.

"Better stay there until we deem it safe for you to come!" Saber Rider said.

"I'm not waiting any more minutes!" Travis stood up. "I'm going in!"

"Me too!" Sylvia stood by him.

"We're all coming!" Prince Roland decided.

 

* * *

The footsteps of the Star Sheriffs were resonating inside the tunnel. A tunnel that had been silent for twenty-four thousand years.

"Whoaaa...!" was the exclamation of the day. Each new person entering the tunnel was having the same reaction... After Saber Rider and Colt entered, Prince Roland followed, then Fireball with Claudia, Sincia and Robin... then Jesse, April, Sylvia and Travis.

The structure they entered in was a giant underground gallery. The width of the tunnel was big enough to hold Ramrod inside. It was going far deep... and there were guiding lights along the ceiling. The core of the tunnel had some wires and special tubes, traveling all along its length. On both sides, there were some walkways and railings. They all started walking inside, cautiously. From time to time, a blue flashlight would travel along the central tube, like a directional light, guiding them toward the inner part of the tunnel.

April was studying the tubes with keen interest. She whispered in amazement:

"I think this is a particle accelerator... This looks like a sort of a research facility..."

"Accelerator? Like when I accelerate my Red Fury racer?" Fireball childishly asked.

"Yes, except that the particles inside this thing are circulating at the speed of light," April smiled back.

Suddenly, the tunnel enlarged and the tubes led to a central spheric structure. The room was fairly dark, illuminated only by the blue guiding lights coming out of the tubes. The large room was continuing farther deep, suggesting that the tunnel was not finished and this was just an intermediary hub.

"Huh?!" Colt jumped. "Guys, I thought I heard something! Listen!"

"Aahhh!" everyone was startled. Suddenly, the lights in the room turned brighter. The sphere in the middle commenced a series of pulsating flashlights.

"Incroyable!" a voice inside the room made everyone jump out of their skin.

Out of the blue light coming from the tubes and sphere, a human shape formed in front of the visitors.

A old man with a white beard and a white smock stood up as a hologram in front of them.

"Bienvenue! Je m'appelle Gustave," the hologram started speaking.

"What does he say?" Colt frowned.

"I think he said his name is... Gustave," Prince Roland tried to understand.

"Yes, that's exactly what he said. He also welcomed us in here," replied Sylvia.

"How do you know, mom?" Jesse asked.

"Because for the past ten years, we learned several of the languages spoken on Earth," his mother explained. "We deciphered their languages while reading the ancient data stored on their discs and memory chips."

"Mom, can you translate?" Jesse asked.

"I will try," said Sylvia.

"So this particle thing is alive!" Colt jumped in terror. He looked up at the giant sphere and felt his gun.

The hologram started walking around the room, guided by the light coming from inside the sphere. He started talking again. Sylvia and Travis were translating:

"I am Gustave Hassim, the artificial version of my creator, doctor Hassim. He built me so that I can take care of this ark, until someone will arrive here and open the door."

"Artificial version?" April raised her eyebrows...

The hologram turned to April. She jumped back... Was this thing intelligent?

"Yes, artificial version," Gustave replied back to April, in her language.

"Hey, you can understand our speech?!" Jesse came next to April.

"J'apprends pendant que vous parlez," replied Gustave.

"He said he learns while we speak," Travis translated.

"Yes, while you speak, I learn your language."

Everyone was flabbergasted. Gustave smiled. He started talking again, while Travis and Sylvia were translating.

"I have been waiting for you, for so many years," Gustave began.

"Twenty four thousand years! I bet you got bored in here!" Colt felt empathetic.

"More precisely, twenty-four thousand one hundred and ninety-seven years, sixty-three days and thirty minutes" Gustave said, without blinking.

"You sure could tell us the seconds and milliseconds too," Colt laughed. "So what's your main activity here, I mean, what do you do every day, you read the news or what?" Colt became ironic.

Sylvia didn't want to translate the last part. Gustave understood, though. He laughed out loud.

"I like your humor... Mr... I didn't get your name..." said Gustave, politely smiling.

"I'm Colt! I'm a Star Sheriff. And these are my friends..."

Everyone introduced themselves.

"Sir, we are a team of Star Sheriffs and we came here with our friends. We travel from very far and we finally managed to open your vault here. You seem to have been trapped here for quite a while," Saber Rider started speaking.

"From very far? How far are you coming from? Australia? New Zealand? You seem to have an accent that resembles Australian. So, maybe there were survivors there and you started a new colony? What's out there?..."

"Oh, so you have no idea what is out there?" Travis asked in disbelief.

"This facility is self-contained. It has enough power to generate and re-generate for many hundreds of thousands of years. We locked ourselves up here when the bombings began... And since then, there is no connection to the exterior. I kept hoping someone would discover us, but I guess we got buried under so much debris from the atomic explosions that... this place was forgotten forever... What has happened on Earth in the past twenty-four thousand years?"

Sylvia looked at Gustave with a sad face, and tried to deliver the news in a gentle manner: "I'm sorry, so sorry to say, but there is nothing out here on Earth... Just trees and insects... I'm very sorry..." Sylvia replied.

"Nothing...? Are you sure? No survivors?" Gustave leaned his head down in profound sorrow... After a few minutes of silence... he asked: "So where do you come from, if there is nothing on Earth?"

"We come from an inter-galactic colony called "The New Frontier", many millions of light-years away from here.

Gustave was silent. He did not say a word for a few painful minutes.

"We are humans, though, and we found evidence that our ancestors are from your planet," Jesse tried to revive the conversation.

"Millions of light-years? That means my friends survived out there!" Gustave came back with a joyful face.

"Your friends? They left Earth? When?" Travis asked.

"They left a few days before the bombings began. Our partners at NASA created a few space ships that implemented our technology, a revolutionary acceleration system, based on our particle research here at CERN. We called it the "warp" power, based on some science-fiction terminology. We never tested it before, and this was a hit-or-miss thing..., we rushed to finish it before it was too late. We never knew what happened to the travelers, if they survived, if the technology actually worked or not, because the war interrupted everything. We sent them out there, in the hope that humanity will survive somehow and regenerate, despite its self-destructive nature. We created a second ark here, at CERN, and we isolated it as well as we could, so that we could wake up some time in the future..."

Everyone looked at each other with big eyes. So it was true, humanity was indeed coming from Earth!

"Unfortunately, the enemy stole our technology, too... I hope he didn't get too far, but I have a feeling he did..." Gustave continued.

"What was the name of your enemy?" Sylvia asked.

"He was King Gengizze, from the kingdom of Antarctica. He formed a retreat there, in the most hostile environment on Earth. Without the knowledge of other nations, he built a powerful base, with servers and rocket launching sites. He was hacking all our systems, constantly, and he allied himself with the most corrupt countries in the world. From there, his powerful alliance declared war on the civilized nations, and it all culminated with him blasting Earth."

"Gengizze? Travis, wasn't that the name we found on that little planet in the X45 galaxy?" Sylvia turned to her husband.

"That's right! So he did manage to reach our dimension! He is the one that started that isolated colony! So he survived!"

"So, he must have found that planet when he tested his ship, and then, knowing that he had a place to run, he blasted Earth and then took off...!" Claudia inferred.

"That's right! Jerk!" Colt clenched his fist. "He must have taken his family and friends with him, and they formed that galactic colony there. Good thing they stayed there and didn't interfere with us!"

"Monsieur Gustave, you talk like there is more of you here! Where are the rest?" Prince Roland changed the topic.

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot! How can I forget such an important thing? This is the scope of this ark."

"Ark? I thought this was a research facility," April wondered.

"It used to be, it is called CERN, or Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire; but when the tensions and wars erupted, we started preparing ourselves for anything, so we re-purposed parts of these tunnels. Let me turn on the lights..." Gustave raised his hand as if pushing some buttons. Suddenly, the tunnel got brighter, and deep inside it, hundreds of rows of vertical chambers appeared.

"Vapor chambers!" Colt exclaimed! "You guys are putting people in vapor chambers!"

"I think this is a different technology, Colt," said Saber Rider.

"I have been maintaining the proper functioning of this facility for all these years. I have been keeping them here in cryogenic state, so they can start anew, after someone would find us. And here you are, ready to meet my friends!" Gustave was very happy.

"Who are they?" Sincia asked.

"Many of them are researchers that worked here at CERN, we have some students from MIT and many other famous universities, that were doing their internships here; we also have some political figures and dissidents from different countries around the globe, also friends of ours who wanted to save their children, so they sent them here... We also have people that were desperately trying to run from war and destruction. It was a very tough call... We had thousands of people that wanted to come here, but we only had a limited number of chambers... So we we secretly transported many of them to our NASA base, where they took off in the warp-powered ships. And there were still billions of others who didn't make it to any of these two options... The desperation in the last days was heartbreaking..."

A moment of silence followed.

"How many chambers are here?" Robin started walking in the direction of the cryogenic lockers.

"We have built three thousand cryogenic chambers, and I am proud to say I was able to maintain all of them functional. Only a few of them had some malfunctions, the people woke up, but I was able to convince them to go back to sleep."

"Three thousand! This sounds like a lot!" Colt was amazed. "What about yourself, Doctor Hassim, are you in one of these chambers, too?"

Gustave lowered his head. "No, I didn't want to... I figured I could just transfer my consciousness into this computer, in order to keep this ark going... I stayed inside here and I passed away a few years after the war. I was already very old, and very tired of all this crappy life... Eh... here... this is my tomb..." he pointed to a stone on the ground.

"But you are alive in this computer..." April replied. "It must be a very awkward feeling to see yourself die, but still be aware of your own self."

"It's awkward, indeed, but I got used to it. I have much more brain power now, and the speed with which I calculate things is unbelievable. I never get bored, there is always something else to think about. I actually discovered some new physics laws, and figured out the wormhole theories... I inferred the existence of other dimensions..."

"This sounds like the opposite of Nemisis! He was always bored to death! Ha ha!" Fireball laughed.

"Who is Nemisis?" Gustave was curious.

"Never mind... Nobody. The evil version of you..." Fireball replied.

"Hey, they are starting to wake up!" Robin exclaimed, while she was looking at a few cryogenic chambers.

"I initiated the revival sequence on the first batch of humans. These are the MIT students," said Gustave.

The icy fog inside the chambers was evaporating. A swooshing sound was indicating that the chambers were slowly warming up the bodies.

After a while, the first person opened his eyes. He was a young man, with a short black hair and green eyes. Saber Rider opened his door.

"Aaaaahhh..." the guy yawned, like woken up from sleep. But then he suddenly jerked in surprise: "Whaaat the... heck...?" He was talking in English, yes, that old English from Earth.

Saber Rider's appearance was not quite very familiar to him. He had never seen an armor suit like that before, in real life.

"Cool suit man! Whoa... I must be still dreaming... I've been reading too many comics lately, I'm seeing Iron Man everywhere..."

Sylvia translated... Everyone started laughing.

"No, you're not dreaming..." Saber Rider replied.

"Wha... what language is that?... You seem to be talking in English, but someone gave you a couple of prunes and you are chewing on them while you speak," the guy replied.

Again, laughter around... The guy was scratching his head in confusion.

Another chamber opened. A girl with beautiful long hair came out. She looked around and shouted in excitement: "Hey, Steve! Over here, I'm awake too!"

"Alysha, hey, what's up?"

"Whazzup, maaan?" another guy appeared from a third chamber.

Soon, there was a big crowd of young people, hugging each other in excitement. The joy of reunion was preventing them from noticing the Star Sheriffs around. Until the green-eyed guy, Steve, turned around and started talking again to Saber Rider: "So, you're not from here, I assume..."

"I'm from the New Frontier..." said Saber Rider.

"Wow, wow, wow, man! Yo, yo, check this suit out!" another guy looked at Fireball's shiny red-and-white pilot suit. A bunch of girls quickly gathered around him and started touching his armor in curiosity. Claudia was taken by surprise by this avalanche of admirers for her boyfriend. She felt proud of him and started saying: "He is a car racer, he is the winner of the Galaxy Grand Prix!"

"Wow, how fast does your car go?" the guys were already fans.

"As fast as Claudia's," Fireball laughed. "She is a car racer too and we won the Grand Prix together."

"Won't you look at this! You must be a cowboy, right?" a girl looked at Colt with admiration. Colt suddenly became very proud of himself. Robin chuckled, next to him: "He's the best sharpshooter on the New Frontier."

"Wow, can't wait to see you give us a demonstration!" one of the guys exclaimed.

"Cool, man! Bro, you rock! How did you guys find us? Are you guys from the liberation army?" another kid, with lots of piercing and a colorful print on his T-shirt, asked Jesse.

Sylvia and Travis were having a hard time translating their conversations from English. Some colloquial words were not quite familiar to her. But she did understand the last two questions.

"We found you through archaeological research..." Sylvia replied, trying to find the words in their language. "And, no, there is no liberation army here..." she giggled.

"Archaeological research? What are we, ancient artifacts?..." Steve laughed.

"I think you are an ancient ruin..." a girl gave him a nudge.

"You're a total fossil..." another guy cracked up.

"So this is how archaeologists look now?" one of the girls looked at Jesse, with keen interest. She had beautiful blue eyes and black long hair. She walked around him and touched his blue chest plate. She seemed to be very confident and bold. Jesse was watching her in amusement, as she was circling him. Lots of girls used to like him when he was at the Cavalry Command, so he was used to flirting. But, this time, he felt like he was a sort of a museum piece that she was admiring. She boldly touched his long sideburns: "Super-hair! I used to dye my hair blue when I was in high-school. You look wicked nice, dude! What hair salon gave you this awesome blue-green shade? And this haircut is sooo funky!" She was genuinely curious about his hairstyle.

April cleared her throat, just to make the girl aware of her jealous female presence around him... But the girl was too attracted to his looks to even notice April around. So, April looked at Jesse and crossed her eyes in frustration.

"I didn't dye it. That's how... it grows. I'm Jesse, Jesse Blue, and I'm not an archaeologist, but my parents are," and he tried to friendly shake her hand.

She jumped back, frightened. "You don't dye your hair? It just grows blue, like that? What are you, an alien?"

Travis and Sylvia came close to their son and laughed: "We don't dye our hair, either."

"Where are you coming from, people?" the students asked.

"They come from very far away in the Universe, from a different galaxy," Gustave started speaking.

"Proffessor!" all the students exclaimed.

"Yes, it's me. I'm here with you, as I promised..."

"But you are a hologram..." someone was disappointed.

"I'm still with you, nevertheless. And these people are my new friends. They travelled from far, far away."

"Did you just say... another galaxy...?" a kid asked in disbelief.

"Another dimension, actually..." April corrected him.

"Woo-hooo! So I was right, professor, I told you my calculations were right! I knew there were other dimensions!" a girl jumped up in joy.

"Mmm-hmmm", Gustave nodded in approval.

"So... you are all scientists?" April's eyes were glowing in interest.

"Yes, we are students, we are here at CERN for internships," said one the girl.

"I am a scientist, too. My name is April Eagle," and she shook her hand.

"So, if you guys come from another dimension, you are true aliens! I'm Beth, from Planet Earth," she replied with a big chuckle.

"So aliens look like us, huh?" Steve was sarcastic.

"We are actually descendants of your people, from this planet, Earth..." Prince Roland replied.

"Descendants? What year are we in?" Steve gawked at him.

Gustave spoke: "We are precisely in year twenty-thousand seven hundred and sixty, AC."

"Twenty-what?" one of the guys popped his eyes as large as teacups.

"That's right, you heard it well, buddies... Welcome to the future!" Fireball laughed at them.

"Dude, no way, we slept for twenty-thousand years?" Steve threw a friendly fist at another student.

"Not just twenty, but twenty-four thousand, seven hundred and..." Gustave tried to correct him.

"Whatever, man," Steve interrupted him, "what difference does it make now, extra four thousand seven-hundred and some crap? Buddy, we're the oldest people on Earth! I feel old, hold me, I need a cane, someone help me..." Steve started goofing around. His friends started mimicking him, holding their bellies and humping themselves.

Everyone was laughing. Sincia looked at Saber Rider in joy... She felt that their discovery and rescue mission was now a crucial moment in the history of humanity. Saber Rider held her close to him and kissed her forehead.

Prince Roland felt an awkward urge to depart himself from the noisy crowd and take a walk around the premises. He was feeling lonely... Everyone had someone dear next to them... Jesse had April, Fireball was holding Claudia's hand, Colt had his hands around Robin's waist, and Saber Rider had just given Sincia a kiss on her forehead... The kids were hugging each other, some of them seemed to be couples and they didn't shy away from kissing each other... But himself... he was lonely, and he could not keep that royal stance for too long, in these conditions. He always had to act proudly and exhibit that nobleness, as his father and mother taught him at the Royal court... But... this was too much... His family had tried to introduce him to a lovely duchess, a few months ago, but he didn't like her. Plus, he was mature enough to make up his own mind about whom he liked! Why in the Universe was his father supposed to decide whom he should marry?

The Prince walked along the corridor, gently touching all the cryogenic chambers, as he was passing by them. With the corner of his eyes, he spotted a pair of closed eyes, through the fog of a frozen window. He got closer... Oh, those were two very beautiful eyes...! He wondered how beautiful they could be when they would open... Gustave, who was supervising all the chambers, noticed that the Prince was looking at the girl in that chamber. A short computer decision and … swoosh!... the revival procedure began... Slowly..., the fog went away... and some beautiful lips showed up from inside... An oval shaped face of a rose-cheeked girl revealed itself in front of him... Prince Roland leaned with his hands on the window, watching the scene develop. Slowly, she started breathing. After a while, she gradually opened her eyes... She was in a sort of semi-consciousness state. The Prince was admiring her beauty, captivated by her curly sandy-blonde hair. She finally looked up... The Prince could not resist giving her a big smile, from the other side of the window. She smiled back with a charming shy look, then tried to move. The Prince realized he was holding the door closed, because he was leaning on it. He stood aside and opened the door, slowly. She tried to step out of the chamber, but she was very dizzy. He tried to grab her hand, but she was feeling so faint that she could barely stand up. Her knees gave in and she leaned on his chest.

"Vous-etes tres jolie..." the very shy Prince Roland tried to speak to her in the old French he knew from school, as an introductory sentence.

She looked up at him and smiled again.

"Je m'appelle Roland, je suis le Prince du Royaume du Jarre," he said.

"Mein Name ist Princesse Marleine..." she seemed to understand what he had said, but she replied in German. She tried to lift herself up, as he was holding her.

"She is our dear Princess of Liechtenstein..." Gustave's hologram walked close to them.

"You are a Princess?" Roland looked at her in astonishment.

"Yes, she is the youngest daughter of the Liechtenstein Royal family," Gustave explained in Roland's language. He was beginning to learn pretty well the New Frontier's vocabulary.

"What... what language are you speaking...?" she asked Roland in her German language. "Whe... where is the kingdom of Jarre?" she tried to raise her head up from his chest.

"Far away from here, in a beautiful place..." said the Prince, after listening to Gustave's translation.

"Proffessor Hassim..." she turned to the hologram, "did anyone survive outside?"

"No, your Highness... I'm sorry..."

She started crying and sobbing on the Prince's chest. He tried to cheer her up:

"Mademoiselle, there are many many of us here who are happy that you are alive and well... See, look around..."

Indeed, all the crowd gathered around them, in curiosity. Colt winked at Prince Roland, unaware of any etiquette, just happy that the Prince was holding a girl in his arms.

She recognized the faces of the students. She smiled back at them and everyone saluted her:

"Welcome back, your Highness!"

She was finally feeling better. She went and hugged every one of them.

"So this is it, that's all there is left of humanity..." she concluded, looking around.

"Ma'am, what are you talking about? There are trillions of us out there!" Colt started talking.

"Trillions?... What do you mean...?" she was confused.

"We've spread across galaxies and dimensions. We populated hundreds of planets since your friends left Earth."

"Wait, we populated other dimensions...? What... what year are we in? What time is it? How much did I sleep for?" she rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

"We are in year twenty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty, AC," Gustave explained again.

"Whaaaatt?" the princess was flabbergasted.

"Okay... here we go again..." Fireball realized that the "whaaat?" question will be heard over and over and... over... again that day.

"Yeah, it sucks..." a student replied. "But you know what? I can't wait to see what's outside! How did Earth evolve in twenty thousand years?"

"It's all green and bushy!" Colt happily cleared it up.

"Oh, that's good, so nature did survive! I was worried that we would find ourselves on a Martian soil..." Alysha was enthusiastic.

"Just a part of it survived..." Travis came into the conversation.

"How much of it... did survive?..." another guy asked.

"Some trees and plant species..., like ferns..." Sylvia started listing them...

"Mosquitoes..." Colt recalled his latest enemy.

"Dragonflies...!" Sincia chuckled.

"Yeah, man, we've got a lot of work to do, then!" said Steve, patting another buddy on his back.

"Right! Let's go!" his friend turned around and started going in another direction. He seemed to be seriously engaged in his mission of starting this new task that Steve suggested.

"Wow-wow, where are you going? Come back! We're not starting right now. Chill, man! Relax, enjoy the day! Take it easy..." Steve pulled the guy's arm and brought him back. Everybody started laughing uncontrollably. The poor kid had a disoriented face. He seemed to be the type of nerdy guy that took everything too seriously.

"He's a biologist," explained Steve. "He worked on putting almost all known embryo species and stem cells of animals into suspended animation."

"Wait, did you guys just say you have animals here too?" April stared at them.

"Yeah, we called this "Gustave's Ark", because he came up with the idea of keeping as many embryos and germ cells of animals and plants as we could. They are all chemo-frozen, we just need to start the process and turn them on, and... watch them grow! And we'll have animals again!"

"Absolutely, we shall bring life back on our Earth. But first, let's bring back to life all our friends..." said Gustave, while he activated another row of cryogenic chambers.

 

* * *

"Incredible, this is sooo awesome! Who built this?" Steve, the green-eyed MIT student asked, looking at the Ramrod as they all walked out of the tunnel, into the open air.

"This blonde lady here did. She's the engineer," Colt pointed at April with his thumb.

"Wow, you're not kidding when you say you are a scientist!" Steve told April.

"Yes, chums, she means business..." Saber Rider proudly replied.

Step by step, one by one, people started emerging from the tunnel. Gustave had a little robot on wheels that he used as a proxy to move around and leave the tunnel.

All three thousand people lined up to exit the tunnel... It was a very long line... But the beautiful light outside and the green leaves were giving everyone the feeling of a fresh start. Some people were hugging each other, others were crying, because they were missing their lost loved ones.

Lots of "if"s and "why"s were spoken around. Lots of stories shared, lots of memories and questions. The only ones able to partially answer their questions were Travis and Sylvia..., who were surrounded by a huge crowd, demanding details about what happened on Earth in the past twenty-four thousand years. They were particularly interested in what happened right after they were put to cryo-sleep. Some were interested in the fate of their families..., if they had been able to leave Earth and travel out and make new colonies...

Of course, the Star Sheriffs had to give a demonstration of Ramrod's capabilities. The challenge phase was the attraction of the evening. A lot of children also wanted to visit the inside of their ships. All in all, the evening was a hit.

As the day was coming to and end, all the people realized they had no home to go to... so they all started going back into the CERN tunnel. There was plenty of space there... but no food... Another problem came up now... _Food_... Where were all these people going to get food from?

"We need to bring food as fast as we can here..." said April, while she was talking with her friends, in the kitchen of one of the Ramrods. It was late at night and they were preparing to go to sleep. Prince Roland brought Princesse Marleine with him. She seemed to be the last survivor of her royal family and she had no place to go. She somehow felt a warm connection with this man... He was the first human to see when she opened her eyes and his joyful presence was a much needed support. Although 24 thousand years had passed, her painful memories were as fresh as yesterday.

"I think we need to find a quick source of food. I heard there is still fish. There is a very big lake here, called Lac Lemain," Marleine said.

"Yes, we should use our fishnets, " said Travis.

"I have some fishnets and fishing rods, too!" said Colt in excitement. Right here on Ramrod!

"Then we can try to use them! Tomorrow, on Lac Lemain! We can also look for some roots and other such things..." Madeleine was trying to find a solution. She was feeling the responsibility of a leader on her shoulders.

"Yes, and in the meantime we'll bring humanitarian convoys of food, clothes and other necessary aids for everyone," Prince Roland added.

Marleine gasped. She realized that Prince Roland was actually going to travel really far out in space to bring aid. She felt an enormous gratitude.

"I would like to invite you on this trip, and see my kingdom, Princess Marleine," proudly said the prince.

"Chums, we have to decide who stays here and help, and who will travel back to our dimension to bring the supplies"

Colt lowered his head... He missed his parents... He didn't even have the chance to speak with them after the rescue... Saber Rider saw his sad look and said:

"I propose that Colt and Prince Roland go back. Colt, take the Bronco Buster inside the Royal starship. Robin, you will join Colt. Princess Marleine, would you like to join Prince Roland and meet his father, King Jarray?"

"I would like to, it will be an honor!" she replied with no hesitation.

"Alright, chums. Meanwhile, we will stay here and help all the people settle and find food, until help arrives. What do you say?"

"We are all for it!" everyone approved.

 

* * *

Join us in our next adventure of Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs!

 


	13. Episode 65 - The Fishing Net

**The Fishing Net**

Next day after the big encounter at CERN, April was stretching outside, in the bright morning daylight. Jesse sneaked behind her and suddenly grabbed her in his arms. She screamed in a playful panic, as he lifted her up.

"Yess, I caught you! Good morning, April!" Jesse laughed.

"Goood morning..." she turned around and blew him a long kiss. He closed his eyes and held her up. The sky was spinning.

"Ahem...", someone cleared his throat behind them.

"Colt!" April gasped and jumped out of Jesse's arms..

He was leaning against one of the landing gear wheels, under Ramrod II. Of course, in his trademark pose, he was holding his hat over his eyes.

"Why are you up so early?" April asked, making a few steps away from Jesse.

"Well, I'm just awake. Anything wrong with that?" he replied. Colt was notoriously late at waking up.

"Couldn't sleep?" April asked.

"Yeah... I kinda' had a white night..., so I figured I'd just get up early anyway," Colt yawned. He had a concerned look in his eyes.

"You miss them, don't you...?" April whispered.

He didn't say anything for a few moments, then he answered: "I think they deserve to see me... Now that we've solved all the mysteries of the Universe, I can finally go meet my parents..." Again he paused for a few seconds, then he continued: "They even have tombstones. I have to go and dismantle them."

"They must be extremely worried, now that _you_ are gone missing," said Jesse.

Colt lifted his eyes from the ground and looked back at Jesse. It was the first time since they buried the hatchet that he actually looked him straight in the eyes again. He used to see two cutting swords on Jesse's face. All he could see now was a friendly look.

"That's right, amigo..." said Colt, sighing. "And I can't wait to see them..."

"Colt, you were awake. I've been looking for you..." Robin showed up.

"Ready to go, darling?" Colt wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Yes, Colt, let's go home!" said Robin decidedly.

One by one, everybody was waking up. Prince Roland came out also. Princess Marleine showed up a little later, along with Sincia and Claudia. They were talking in a mix of Star Sheriffs language, old English and Italian. Somehow they were understanding each other. They were laughing and gesturing with their hands to mimic the words they could not translate. Princess Marleine was nodding in "aha" every time the girls were explaining something.

Some of the people from CERN were there also; they came to talk with princess Marleine, before her departure. She went over to them and they started talking about her trip and what she needed to discuss with the leaders of the New Frontier.

Colt had a pair of sunglasses on his hat. He put them on and softly touched the right side hinge of the glasses. He had a micro camera mounted on the glasses. He started looking around and filming... Mountains with white tops in the distance..., a beautiful lake reflecting the soft light from the sky... people around, talking and laughing. What a Paradise... He breathed deeply... One day he would come back and visit Texas... and everything else there was to see there.

"See you soon, lad!" Saber Rider shook Colt's hand. "Please tell everyone that we are all safe here, and that we are waiting for the convoys to arrive, as soon as they can. In the meantime, we are helping the survivors accommodate here."

"Will do, Top Sword," Colt shook back his hand and pointed at his filming camera.

Saber Rider nodded: '"Good idea, cowboy!" he winked and he friendly waved into it.

"Safe travels, buddy!" Fireball shook his hand. "Watch out for bushwackers..." and he mimicked boxing an invisible enemy.

"Will do, pard!" said Colt, with a nostalgic laugh.

"Do you have enough fuel, Prince Roland?" April asked worriedly.

"Yes, Miss Eagle. Last night, Saber Rider and I went and transferred some from Ramrod 1. We are going to be fine. We'll take the short route, the one that Mr and Mrs Blue took. They gave us their coordinate tracks. Once we get home, we'll send more fuel with the convoys. See you soon!" Prince Roland was waving to everyone. "Let's hit the road!"

Princess Marleine hugged her friends and graciously followed him. He took her hand and helped her climb the stairs to get on board his ship. Colt and Robin followed them, holding hands.

Everyone was waving at them from behind.

In a few minutes, the Royal ship was taking off.

 

* * *

"Are you alright, Princess?" Colt, Robin and the Prince were gathered around her. They had just passed through the inter-dimensional wormhole. She seemed to have passed out.

"Mmmm...ugh..." she opened her eyes, slowly.

"Hey, we knew you were going to be alright! Great to see you back!" Colt was joyous.

She smiled. The Prince brought her some water. She leaned on the chair's backseat and looked out into the starry sky, through the ship's window... A new sky, a new day in her life...

After a good one more hour, they were crossing into the New Frontier.

The Prince started saying: "In a couple of hours, we will reach planet Alamo. My father will be so..."

Suddenly, the comm-link blinked. A New Frontier patrol was paging them.

"Prince Roland here. I repeat, this is Prince Roland", he opened the communication with the star patrol.

"Welcome back, Prince. We were not expecting you to arrive through here. You came from the exact opposite direction than where you left from."

"Yes, gentlemen. And we have big news, a new Universe has opened up for everyone. Please tell this to the Cavalry Command, tell everyone that we are all safe. Announce all New Frontier leadership and gather everyone on Alamo, at the Cavalry Command Center. We will land there."

"Aye aye sir, will do. What about the two Ramrod units..., are they coming behind you?" the patrol asked.

"They are all safe, we'll discuss about this as soon as we land," the Prince answered, with a confident voice.

After a few more minutes, Prince Roland tapped a few buttons and opened another channel:

"This is Prince Roland, paging the Royal Tower on Alamo, please respond..."

Static sounds in the background... Then suddenly, King Jarray's face popped on a screen.

"My son! The Cavalry Command just informed me... I was just about to page you... when..." but the King saw the beautiful blonde girl sitting next to Roland and paused in confusion.

"Dad, she..."

But Colt impolitely interrupted them: "She's the Princess of Liechtenstein, her name is..."

"Mein Name ist Princess Marleine... ich bin..." but then she stopped, because she realized that they were not understanding her language ... So she took a little device from her pocket and turned it on. (before leaving Earth, Dr Hassim gave her a little translation tool. He inferred all the vocabulary of the New Frontier language, just by talking with the Star Sheriffs!). As soon as she activated the device, the voice of Dr Hassim started translating.

"I am the descendant of the Royal Family of Liechtenstein and..."

"Liechtenstein? I have never heard of this place? Where are you coming from? What language is she speaking? Son, where did you go? Is she an Outrider?"

"Father, we have a lot to discuss. Please be patient. What I am about to tell you will revolutionize your entire concept about the Universe."

"Are you trying to teach me what the Universe is, my son? Ha! What a silly idea!" the King was feeling affronted.

"No offense, your Highness, but your son is right! We are coming with big news, and this lady here is the living proof!" Colt cut in.

"That is right, King Jarray, we are not lying to you!" Robin came from behind Colt.

"Well, let's see what my brave son is bringing to me!" the King was a little doubtful.

"I will not disappoint you, father!" said the prince.

Time was flying fast and soon they were descending into planet Alamo's atmosphere. All the Cavalry Commanders were there, aligned to salute the returning people. King Jarray came, also. He was standing next to Commander Eagle.

"Was my daughter on board of the ship?" Eagle asked the king.

"I did not see her."

"Hmmm..." Eagle was worried.

As soon as the hatch opened, the ladder came down and the prince emerged, giving a helping hand to a blonde gracious young woman. A ripple of applause came from below. Following them, Colt and Robin were descending, also. Eagle's heart was beating fast... Where was April... and the rest of the team? And the other girls...? If Robin is safe, then the other girls must be somewhere too... And Jesse also... And...

"Commander Eagle..., Father..." Prince Roland's voice interrupted Eagle's thoughts. "I present to you Princess Marleine, from planet Earth..."

 

* * *

On Earth, a big crowd of people was bustling around, outside a forest, next to a lake. It was Lake Lemain. There were a few that were cheering in joy, others were tired and sitting down on the grass, and some other ones were running around, gathering wood from the forest. Then, there were people who were standing around some camp fires, carefully cooking the fish that was being brought in. Behind them, through the forest, there were long lines of people, patiently waiting to get a little piece of the fish that was being cooked.

"Ugh.. this is not going to work too well..." April was frustrated.

The fishing nets from Travis and Sylvia were too small. Way too small for catching fish for three thousand people... Jesse and Saber Rider were trying hard: they were flying with their jet packs above the water, holding a small cast net and pulling it up from time to time. It was coming up loaded with trout and pike fish. Sylvia and Travis launched a little canoe on the water, and they were using some rods and nets to catch more fish.

"Where the heck are the other nets, that Colt was talking about? He said he brought some fishing nets and fishing rods... Where did he hide them? Ugh... Colt, your closet is so cluttered!" April was desperately trying to find something in Colt's monumental pile of personal belongings. Now that Ramrod II was bigger, Colt took the liberty of bringing much more stuff. More than he needed, for sure. But, of course, Colt left Earth in a rush and didn't bother to take the nets out from his closet.

"I think I see something... Look, under this pair of jeans..." Fireball leaned over and pulled something... "Yes, this looks like a fishing net..." he started pulling... and pulling... and the net started coming out, mixed in with clothes, wires, lassoes...

"Hold on, let me untangle it..." April began to pull apart some belts and pistol holders that were hanging from the net...

Suddenly, she realized they were alone the room... As she kept pulling the net out of the pile, she felt that her life was still tangled with his, just like that fishing net..., and that they both still had clinging emotions, hanging in there, deep in their hearts... Feelings of sorrow, friendship, jealousy, fear... all mixed up and confused... So she figured that, the same way she was disembroiling the net, she should attempt to clear the clutter inside her heart, and possibly, inside his...

"Ahem..." she started. "So, Fireball... I just wanted to let you know that... I... I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings in any way... which maybe, I mean..., most probably I did..." She paused for a few seconds... then she continued: "Anyways... I... I'm glad we have a moment to talk about this, just the two of us..." she took a deep breath and looked at him... He did not answer... He was pretending to focus on unknotting some wires...

"Fireball..." she insisted. She touched his hand, in a friendly gesture... "Can we talk about this...? Please...?" she whispered. "I really want to talk... I know I've probably been dishonest about a few things with you... and I'm really sorry..."

"Probably?" he raised his eyes. " _Most likely_ , I would say! _Both_ of us were dishonest... And that's where it all cracked... In dishonesty..." and he wiped his forehead... He was so tense about this conversation, that he felt a knot in his stomach and sweat coming down on his face.

"I did not plan anything, Fireball... I did not intend to lie to you..."

"Neither did I... I'm sorry, April. I really am..."

They stood there, for a few minutes, working on disentangling the fishing net... They didn't know what else to say.

While he was looking down and unscrambling the net, he started saying: "I didn't plan to lie to you about Claudia either... But I did have my eyes on her at the All-Galaxy Grand Prix, before you and I started going out... I can't find any explanation about how this all happened... but it just did, and it happened so fast..." he shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess I lied to you and to myself, too..." said April. "I tried to bury away all my feelings for Jesse, all these years... After all, he was the enemy, the bad guy... But I did fall for him at first sight... just like he did too... All these years, I didn't want to believe my heart, and I tried to silence it. I tried to listen to the voice of my reason, which kept telling me: "he's a villain, don't even think about it." But, somehow, that made me be aloof with you. I kept things between us at a platonic relationship. I never even let you... kiss me..."

"That's when I started being suspicious on you... Because you were sometimes frosty with me..., especially when I tried to get closer to you... I didn't know what to make of it... Maybe that's why I found my way to Claudia, because she offered me that warmth that you hid away from me..."

April felt that he was right. The fact that she lost Fireball to Claudia was not his fault, but hers...

"You're right, I'm to blame..." she said in sorrow.

"Hey, don't blame it all on yourself. We both had our part of guilt," Fireball smiled.

"Yes..., you're right..." she sighed.

Fireball laughed and continued: "Do you remember how you were so eager to go on that mission to reach Trista...? I guess you were truly jealous on her..."

She looked down in embarrassment: "I was, indeed... When I heard that Jesse had a girlfriend, I couldn't believe it... Especially because I knew how obsessed he was about me."

"Yeah, I remember you gasped when you heard about her... Do you know what happened to her afterwards?" asked Fireball.

"I met her afterwards... I secretly went back to Wichita and met her up..." whispered April, with a guilty look.

"Wow, you did, didn't you?" Fireball was amazed.

"At first she didn't want to see me... She thought we came to arrest her. She was so devastated... From what I've heard from her family, she almost wanted to kill herself... I showed up at a critical moment in her life. She was so embarrassed; at first, when I started talking to her..., she didn't say a word for an hour... She was still in a state of shock. She had invested a lot of feelings in him. But the way Jesse was, at that moment, with the virus and all that, he was definitely not the right choice, for any of us. In the end, Trista thanked me for pulling her out of a deadly situation..."

"Oh, wow, how is she now?" Fireball asked.

"She moved on... She is with a Cavalry Command officer on Wichita. I think they will get married soon."

"Does Jesse know about this?"

"Yes, I told him... He had serious guilty trips about what he did to her. He also told me something that shocked me: when he pulled the gun from Trista, he actually did it to save me," April replied.

"But he was pointing the gun at you. How did that change the equation?"

"He had turned the gun on stun mode," said April.

"Aaah... what a sly move..." Fireball

"Yeah, and he told me other interesting things that he did in his twisted little world, when he was infected."

"Like what?"

"Like when he captured you..." April whispered.

"What about it?..." Fireball squinted.

"Apparently he knew that Saber Rider and Colt were behind him, disguised as Outriders, and when he left the room he knew they were going to save you," she giggled.

"Whattt? So, why all the trouble…? I mean, why did he catch me in the first place? I thought he wanted me dead. He just wanted to play with me like a cat with the mouse?"

"Sort of... All he wanted was to prove to me that he was better than all the other boys around me, and the only way he knew how to do that was by trying to defeat you, guys, through different schemes and fights..." said April, with an amused look.

"Oh goodness gracious, what a twisted logic!" Fireball exclaimed, while pulling hard on a tangled knot in the fishing net.

"That's what he said, too!" she chuckled.

"Oh, so now he admits it!" Fireball laughed.

"Of course! Don't worry, he won't cause any more trouble, I promise," she said, laughing.

"Ha ha, I believe you. I do have one more question, though... When I first met Claudia, you were very, I mean _very_ jealous on her. That means you must have cared about me... So...did we have something together..., or what?" Fireball's heart was pounding hard.

"Of course we had, Fireball... Remember what you told me? You said... "you know how these feelings are: they hit you out of nowhere!" I guess our hearts are hard to comprehend... aren't they? You were also very jealous on Jesse, all the time. Am I right?"

"Right...!" he laughed.

"So... no more hard feelings... okay...?" and she stretched her hand out to shake his hand.

"No more," he replied, and he pulled his hand out of the tangled net, to meet her handshake.

"I am grateful for having you as my friend, Fireball! I am glad you found a real girlfriend in Claudia, and I think she is the one meant for you. I really do!"

"Thanks..., April! I feel so good that we talked!" and he sighed in relief. "Oh, what time is it? Oops, I left Claudia by herself out there. Gotta go! See you around!" and Fireball ran out in a rush.

"Hey, you haven't finished helping me untangle this! Uh, boys! Never completing their chores!" April sighed and continued pulling the fishing net out of the closet.

Outside, Saber Rider and Jesse were working hard to catch more fish. Lake Lemain was very generous, but the nets were not large enough. And the people were still very hungry. Some were even looking for plants or mushrooms in the forest, hoping to find something reasonably chewable.

A group of people on the shore had been very handy. They had built a little wooden raft and they had started floating it on the water. They shouted out at Saber Rider and Jesse, who were sweating hard above the water, flying their jet packs around and pulling out the net from time to time.

"Hey, hello! Over here! Come, let us take over!"

Saber Rider and Jesse figured out from their gestures that they wanted to help out.

"What do you say, Jesse, shall we pass the relay baton to the next team?"

"I think I need some rest, man! Let's pass it on!"

The new fishermen gladly took over. Jesse and Saber Rider flew over to the shore and sat on a boulder, by the water. In front of them, a gorgeous landscape was projecting against the sky: a lake and tall blue mountains with snow on their tops.

"Oh, what a day..." Jesse threw himself on his back.

"Indeed! Can you believe all this? I'm still amazed... Planet Earth... another dimension... humans, our ancestors... Your parents here..." said Saber Rider.

"I agree... But most of all, I'm glad you guys don't hate me anymore. Waking up from that virus nightmare was a shock in itself. And then... to see that you guys detested me... what a slap on my face! Do you think Fireball still has a grudge against me?"

"He'll come around. He's fine, it's just that..." and Saber Rider stopped.

"Just that... what?..." Jesse was curious.

"He probably still has some issues because of April..." concluded Saber Rider.

"He shouldn't be angry at me... He chose to go out with Claudia before April made her mind up about me," said Jesse, squinting his eyes.

"Yeah, it's true, but you know how these things are... It takes some time to heal the wounds... You touched a weak chord in his pride," Saber Rider said in a pensive voice.

"I used to be very jealous on you, too, Saber Rider," said Jesse, looking at him through the corner of his eyes.

"Yes, I know," the Star Sheriff replied.

"You do?"

"Well, Jesse, you are pretty easy to read, when it comes to loving April. Do you think I didn't notice how you were looking at her, at the Cavalry Command? I could spot your sparkling eyes from any corner of the room."

"Did you... ever like her?" Jesse raised his eyebrows.

"Ha! Everyone likes her, she's the shining star of the Cavalry Command! But to answer your _real_ question..., I never had any _romantic_ feelings for her. She's not quite my type," said Saber Rider, looking straight at Jesse.

"Good!" said Jesse, dryly.

"Ha ha ha haaaa!" Saber Rider bursted into a contagious laugh... "Good, I'm glad we are on the same page, chum!"

"Ha ha!" Jesse started laughing along... "Good, then we're officially at peace, my friend!"

"Oh, boys!..., look what I found!" April showed up on her horse, Nova. She was all geared up, in her Star Sheriff suit, holding the fishing net and some fishing rods in her hand. On the other side of the lake, a group of children were pointing at her and her horse. Among the children, Sincia and Claudia were also waving at her. April waved back and made the horse loop up in the air. Cheers of joy came from everywhere on the shore.

"Oh, boys, have you become lazy? Don't sit there, let's go get more fish! I found Colt's fishing pack! This net is pretty big! I think this will make a difference!" April was very excited.

"We're not lazy, April, we just needed some rest. Plus, look at the view from here, isn't it pretty?" said Jesse, reclining on the boulder.

She turned around and admired the view.

"And this is just a piece of this planet. Mom and dad told me there are tons of places that are just as beautiful or even more breathtaking," said Jesse.

"So, when do we plan a vacation?" April giggled.

"As soon as we're done fishing," interrupted Saber Rider. "Let's see what Colt has left us here..."

April got off her horse and handed him the nets.

"Oh, this net is pretty big. April, let me call my horse and we'll both throw this net above the water," said Saber Rider.

"I'll go help my mom and dad," said Jesse, and he flew away.

"He has really come around..., completely..." said Saber Rider, after Jesse left. His horse was arriving, following his call.

"I told you, guys, that he's back for good," April replied.

"I believed you, April. I think I'm one of the few ones that trusted your intuition," said Saber Rider, mounting on his horse.

"Thank you, Saber! I knew I could count on you, you've always used justly both your heart and your mind! That's why you're the leader!" and she jutted out into the sky, on her horse. "Ready for another round of fishing?"

"Ready! Let's go!" and they both jumped up, holding a big net in between them. The children on the shore were extremely excited to see the mechanical horses flying up into the sky.

"Hold it, boys, don't get too close to the water, the shore is too abrupt here!" Sincia demanded, while trying to manage the big group of kids. She was doing exactly what she loved: taking care of children.

"Hehe...!" they were all laughing around her. They couldn't understand a word of her language, but the tone of her voice was telling them all they had to know.

"Claudia, will you help the group on your left with the food? The kids are very hungry. Let's start feeding them."

"Of course! Oh, Fireball, thanks for coming! We need your help, let's separate the kids in several groups. Help those people bring the food faster, okay?" said Claudia to Fireball.

"Alright, sweetie, will do!" he blew her a kiss and flew with his jet pack to the cooking point, where the designated chefs were pulling a new batch of fried fish out of the hot coals.

"Here, I'll take this basket!" and Fireball took off with a big basket of cooked fish, to the place where the children were waiting.

"Save some for the hungry adult in me!" shouted a young man from behind. He was Steve, the MIT student, rubbing his belly in hunger.

"Fish incoming!" April's voice resonated above the bay.

"Watch out, chums!" Saber Rider announced, while they both lowered the heavy net, bursting with fish.

"Yaaay!" sounds of joy came from out of the forest.

"Mom, let me pull this to the shore" Jesse was dragging his parents' canoe.

The canoe was so heavy it was about to tip over.

"Take it easy, son, don't flip us over, okay?" Sylvia warned Jesse.

A few people jumped in to help. They took several baskets filled with fish from inside the canoe, and Jesse pulled a net filled with fish on the shore.

April was right above them, flying on Nova. She waved at Jesse, giggled and took off to another round of fishing.

"She's an awesome gal, isn't she?" Travis proudly looked at his son.

Jesse looked up at her and nodded. Fireball was next to him, lifting another basket. He winked at Jesse and flew away to the group of kids.

"So that's how you got treated..." Travis chuckled, as he was getting out of the canoe.

"Yeah, dad, like in a fairy tale..." Jesse scratched his head.

Travis patted him o his back: "You're a lucky son of a..."

"Of a Blue family!" Sylvia cut his last words. All three of them laughed out loud.

Now there were not enough fire pits to cook the more abundant fish that was coming into the bay. Jesse had pretty good leadership skills: in a few minutes he gathered a new group of people and started more cooking points. Productivity was increased. In half an hour, people were finally getting food.

Professor Gustave's little robot was moving around from group to group, making sure that everyone is doing alright.

Jesse and his mother were now helping pass over the food to the people in one of the lines. As the people were moving along, Jesse noticed they were all staring at them...

"Is there something wrong? Why is everyone looking at us?" asked Jesse.

"They are commenting about your hair..." explained Gustave.

"Ha ha ha! Is that so? I didn't know my hair color would be such a fascinating subject!"

"Well, it wouldn't, if it were dyed blue. But your hair is growing blue naturally, which is totally unseen on Earth. You basically remind everyone that you are an alien, even if you have branched out of the human race."

"Mom, did you hear that? We're aliens! Ha ha ha!" Everyone in the line started laughing. Fireball came over, curious why all the rumor.

"I'm an alien, Fireball. Did you know that?"

Fireball started laughing out loud: "Bud, these people really like you, so don't make April too jealous. Better be careful..."

April was just walking towards them, from behind.

"I heard my name. Are you talking behind my back?" she glanced at the two guys, in suspicion.

"Um... no, we're just... um..." Fireball scratched his head.

"He said I have a lot of admirers, and that might trigger your jealousy," Jesse smiled.

"Admirers? Where?" she frowned.

"Here..., there..., everywhere..." and Jesse pointed at the big line of people. They were all smiling back at them.

"Well, that's absurd! They actually like ME! That's why they are all staring at us!" April lifted her chin up and winked at them...

Everyone started laughing... Even the fish in the baskets seemed to laugh back at them. Oh, what a day!

 

* * *

One more episode left! The Star Sheriffs are thanking all of you for reading my story and are waiting for you to follow them in the final adventure!

 


	14. Episode 66 - Friends Forever

 

Back at the Cavalry Command division on Alamo, everyone was watching the video from Colt... Eagle was speechless. King Jarray was in the room also, holding his chin and peeking at princess Marleine, from time to time. He just could not believe his eyes and his ears. This entire story was like pulled out of a fantasy tale. But Princess Marleine was real, and so were all the footages brought in from Earth. Plus, lots of computer data with their trails and galactic coordinates.

In the meantime, Colt left off, along with Robin. They both had people to meet. Colt took off in his ship, to see his parents. Robin travelled to see her family and friends, in Tranquility.

Colt's parents were hosted at a Cavalry Command hotel in Yuma city. They have been in the hospital for a little while, they received treatment and they were still under medical supervision, for post-traumatic stress disorder.

"Mom... dad..." Colt had tears in his eyes...

"Colt, you are back!" his mother jumped to greet him.

It was a very emotional reunion. Colt, the brave Star Sheriff, could not stop himself from crying. He was indeed a softhearted one, just like Robin once said.

"Do you know what a torture these past few days have been for us, son?" said his father. "We thought you were dead!"

"Dad, this is my life... This is how I've been, for a long time. I live on the edge..." Colt giggled. "We have a lot to talk about..."

Indeed, they had lots and lots of stories to share, good and bad. Colt was in a state of euphoria. The reason why he had become a bounty hunter, and later a Star Sheriff, was no longer there. He found his parents and peace was finally back on the New Frontier.

 

* * *

The next day after Colt's return, the Cavalry Command was starting the procedures for putting together the aid convoys. Colt had to go meet Commander Eagle, who also returned to Yuma. He went out for breakfast with his parents, then he took off to the Command Center.

"Dad, I promise I won't go on another mission. I'm done, alright? I'll see you tonight!" and he hugged his mom and dad.

As he was getting into the Command Center building, Colt passed by a long squadron of soldiers that were surrounding what seemed to be a group of prisoners, with their arms cuffed at their backs. Colt looked at the prisoners' faces and spotted... a white pale face... with a stark look. It was Jean-Claude, the famous drifter...

"Jean-Claude, what a surprise!" Colt exclaimed. "We finally nailed you, you piece of..."

"Yeah, Colt, and he's going to be treated for a little virus infection, soon," said a voice behind the squadron. It was Wayne, the Star Sheriff leader of the Eastern sector.

"Wayne, you caught him?"

"Yeah... This piece of vapor figured out our secret base on Planet Amman and attacked it. When we were all thinking that war was over..., he showed up out of nowhere... Just to make our lives more difficult..."

"So, Jean-Claude, you are still lookin' for trouble, ay?" Colt glanced at the Outrider, in disdain.

"Grrr..." the Outrider didn't say a word, he just hissed back at Colt.

"Well, I have good news for you, amigo. Your dear friend Nemisis is gone for good, so you'll have to learn to be friends with us now!"

"Don't worry, Colt, he'll learn it very well after we decontaminate him of that creepy virus. They all have that disgusting bug in their blood. But Erkanos and Doctor Guerino said they will treat them. Plus, if Nemisis is gone, there is no more allegiance to anyone. That's why they are all so disoriented, coz' they don't know what leader to follow now," said Wayne, with an amused face.

"Ha! That's awful funny!" Colt laughed. "So, what's going to happen to all the other bushwackers in their own dimension?"

"It's already over, Colt! Clint and Ranger's teams cleaned up the place. You guys weren't coming back from your mission, so Cavalry Command sent them to rescue you. But when they arrived there, they found out what happened to you, from the locals. So they all went around and scouted the place for the rest of the infected soldiers and commanders. They zapped Grimace, Patch, they found Gattler in a vapor chamber and shot him into a human too... Now they are all in the Containment Department. The Cavalry Command will decide what their next career will be," Wayne winked at Colt.

"Well, I'd like to see Gattler cleaning up my barn!" Colt laughed. "Why don't you just send Jean-Claude to his dimension and zap him there? He'd turn right back into a human, if you shot him in his own dimension."

"Yeah, but it's a bit of an overhead, to travel back there. Plus, Erkanos and Doctor Guerino said it's important for the science world to find out exactly how this virus works," Wayne replied. "They have to get treated here."

"Colt, there you are," a female voice interrupted them.

"Robin? I thought you would stay longer in Tranquility. What brought you back on Yuma?" Colt was surprised.

"I promised Princess Marleine that I would help her organize the aid transport," said Robin. "She needs someone else next to her, to decide exactly what her people need. There are a lot of things that we need to choose: food, clothes, blankets... We will organize several transports, and then we'll start bringing materials for rebuilding the infrastructure..."

"Wheeeew... Robin, you are a natural born leader..." Colt pulled his hat on his shoulders.

"She is, indeed," Commander Eagle was also walking on the corridor. "We have a lot of work to do, Colt," said Eagle, putting his hand on his shoulder.

Colt rolled his eyes... He just wanted some rest... Why work again?...

 

* * *

"Look, a butterfly, just like the ones on Earth!" princess Marleine exclaimed.

"Yes, there are quite a few species around here... And all sorts of animals, also. I will take you for a horse ride tomorrow, if you'd like," said Prince Roland. His eyes were glued to her.

She stopped walking and looked up to the sky. It was a beautiful summer night, with bright stars. Thoughts about Earth came to her mind. She remembered her last days before going into the cryogenic sleep. A teardrop fell on her cheek.

"I miss you, my dear family... Wherever you are mom, dad, Olaf - my brother and Serena - my sister... I miss you..." she whispered.

Prince Roland hugged her tight, as she was sobbing in silence. His father, King Jarray, was looking out the window of his castle.

 

* * *

It was already dark outside, a few fires were still burning. Around one of the fire pits, a group of people were having an interesting discussion. April was in the center of attention.

"So, you mean the warp field equation was your discovery?" April stood up and looked at the group of people warming up around the fire. They were scientist from all around Earth, men and women that had worked at NASA and CERN and their combined efforts led to the revolutionary invention.

"Yep..." one of them started scribbling something on the ground, with a stick.

April recognized the equation and jumped in to finish writing it. Everyone looked at her in surprise.

"So... you guys are using the same formula that we discovered, twenty-four thousand years ago?" one of them asked her.

"Indeed we are! I can't believe I am standing here, speaking with the founding fathers of intergalactic travel!" April exclaimed.

After a long evening of talks, that prolonged into the midnight, the scientists were all amazed at what the humanity has come to be. They found out that the intergalactic travel was quite frequent and that the method was also used for distant communication between planets. It was something they never thought of, but apparently the warp power discovery also helped the telecommunication industry. They also found out about the Human-Outrider wars and all the history behind it. They realized that humanity still had a lot to learn about peace...

 

* * *

A few days have passed since Prince Roland departed for the New Frontier. On Earth, the sun was rising above the mountains again... People started coming out of the tunnels, tired and sore...

"Man, I need a bed... I can't sleep like that, crawled on the floor..." said Steve, coming out of the CERN tunnel.

"Yeah, I agree. And I don't know if I can take that fish every day. I mean, it's only been a few days and I'm already sick of it! Think of it: trout for breakfast, trout for lunch, trout for dinner..." said a friend of Steve.

"You never liked fish, anyway," said a girl next to him. "But fish is good for your brain! Makes you smart!" and she winked at him.

"I'm smart already, am I not?" he laughed.

"Oh, boys, we have some fish for you!" April showed up, with a tray of cooked fish, coming down from a trail in the forest.

"Ugh..." the boys rolled their eyes.

"What's the matter? Oh, I forgot, I also got you some candies, from our pantry on Ramrod. I don't have too many of them, so don't tell anyone else. These are just for you, okay?" and April gave Steve a bag of candies, then she placed the big plate of fish in his friend's arms.

"Heeey, thanks, ma'am! What a surprise!" Steve was happy.

"You're welcome!" she giggled and ran away.

"I think she likes me," Steve smiled... "Heey! Give me that bag!" and he started chasing after his friend, who was sly enough to put the fish tray down and smuggle the candies from his hand.

"I told you I don't like fish! I get the candies, you go eat the fish... Ha ha!"

The guys were laughing and chasing each other around in circles. Meanwhile... sounds of aircrafts started resonating up in the sky... Out of the blue..., a long convoy of freight starships started lining up above the mountains...

"Ramrod, this is Prince Roland, please come in!" the comm-link beeped.

"Guys, we are being paged!" April was just returning to the ship, from her trip downstairs.

"This is Saber Rider! Welcome back, Prince! There is a field to the south of the forest, you can land there."

"I can see that. Thank you!"

"Wow, look up!" Fireball pointed to the sky. He was outside, surrounded by a big group of kids.

"Oh, chum, I see you have lots of supporters!" said Saber Rider, who was just getting out from the Ramrod ship.

"He's raising a new generation of Star Sheriffs!" Claudia giggled.

"Come, let's go closer!" a little girl pulled Fireball's arm and dragged him into the forest, eager to reach the convoys.

"Oh, I'm so hungry, Alysha, let's go see what these guys are bringing us for food!" said Steve, chewing up on a candy that he managed to rescue from his friends's bag. They were all running toward the landing convoy.

 

* * *

Six months after their big discovery on Earth, the Star Sheriffs were on planet Alamo, at king Jarray's palace. The king decided to give a special reception for all his friends. He also invited a lot of people from Earth. Prince Roland brought them over, all across the galaxies and dimensions. They were all excited and curious about this new world.

Everyone was enjoying the evening. Saber Rider's parents were at the reception, also. They were very proud to see that their son was the leader of a team that brought peace in the world. They were talking to Fireball's parents: Capt. Hikari was explaining to them all their recent adventures and how they survived all the dangers.

Jesse's parents were talking to Colt's parents. They were sharing their own experiences, fortunes and misfortunes of the past ten years.

Colt was toasting a drink with Saber Rider, while their girlfriends, Robin and Sincia, were discussing how they should both start a new school on Earth. The children were all very fond of them and they loved the little ones, also.

Princess Marleine was talking with the Her Majesty the Queen of Jarre, Prince Roland's mother. She was explaining to her how the new aids from Yuma tremendously helped the Earthians get back on their feet and start their new lives.

Commander Eagle was talking to General White Hawk, discussing about the future of Earth. There were many inhabitants from the New Frontier who expressed their wish to go and colonize the old planet. Princess Marleine seemed to have taken the lead there and she was open to newcomers.

Claudia was next to Fireball, laughing at the jokes that Jesse was making. He was recalling the time when he was still under the virus spell and how he was always at his wit's end about the stupidity of his fellow Outriders. They had been driving him nuts! He was always angry, cranky, dissatisfied. Their performance was … quote from Jesse...: "underwhelming".

"Haha, so you called him "dumb" to his face?" Fireball was laughing at something that Jesse said about an Outrider.

"Yeah, I said..."

Suddenly, Jesse stopped talking. April was returning from another room. All the people in the ballroom turned their eyes to the blonde girl. She was wearing a long red satin dress with a deep heart-shaped v-neck.

  

 

"Jesse..."

"Yes..., April..." Jesse had his eyes glued to her.

"I think we have to get closer to the podium... It's time for the King's speech!" and she grabbed his hand.

All the of them walked to the center of the ballroom.

"Attention, ladies and gentlemen!" someone announced: "His Majesty the King of Jarre will commence his speech now!"

The king walked up on a stage in the center of the ballroom. Everyone was listening. Finally, peace was a certainty on the New Frontier. He praised the courage of the Star Sheriffs, the strength and spirit of sacrifice, the friendship and generosity they all excelled at. Above all, he was very, very happy that his good friend, Capt Hikari, had been rescued.

The king ended his speech by saying: "Star Sheriffs, you and your companions have shown excellence in your service to the New Frontier, rendering high and noble bravery in war and peace. We, hereby, decided that you are all worthy of the highest decorations of our Kingdom! The Royal Star of Merit!"

Trumpets resounded around the castle. Then, several royal esquires opened the way and escorted the nominees up on the podium.

A few valets standing behind the king took a few steps forward. They were holding pillows with many insignias.

The King and the Queen approached each of them and offered them a Royal Star, while saying:

"Please accept from our hands this decoration, as a symbol of honor, generosity and bravery."

Another round of solemn royal music finished the ceremony... Prince Roland came and shook Saber Rider's hand: "Ready for the next step, Star Sheriff?"

"Ready!" replied Saber Rider, throwing a long look at his fellow male friends. The handshake with prince Roland was their secret sign.

The prince walked to Princess Marleine ...and put one knee down in front of her... A little girl came with a pillow bearing a ring... Princess Marleine was holding her breath in total surprise. She looked down at the kneeled Prince and blushed...

"Your Highness, Princess of Liechtenstein..., I humbly come before you to ask... Will you marry me?"

The Star Sheriffs were still on the podium, after the decoration ceremony. April was holding her fist on her chest, in an awe-stricken pose. She wanted to pull Jesse by his sleeve, thinking that maybe he was not paying attention to the new developments. But when she turned to him, he was also kneeled... in front of her! April's heart jumped!

"Will you marry me, April?..."

Next to her, Colt was kneeled, holding Robin's hand... His voice was trembling: "Robin, I... I'd like to ask you... will you marry me?"

Next to Colt, Fireball was also down on one knee. She felt his hand shaking, while he asked her: "Claudia..., will you... marry me?"

The last one in the row, Saber Rider..., was looking up at Sincia, holding her hand: "Sincia, I... love you! Will you marry me?"

The room was in absolute silence, pricking their ears to hear the girls answering...

"Yes, I will!" replied the princess, closing her eyes in emotion.

"Yes, Jesse, I will..." April replied out loud.

"Yes, Colt, absolutely," and Robin hugged him.

"Yes, I will, Fireball!" Claudia held her face in her palms, in a total surprise.

"I will, Saber Rider! I love you too!" Sincia exclaimed in blissfulness.

Confetti and balloons poured down from the ceiling, and everyone in the room started applauding and cheering. King Jarray shook Commander Eagle's hand and invited him for another toast.

 

* * *

A year after discovering Earth..., inside a Royal star fleet ship:

"Sincia, what do you think?" April turned around towards her.

"I think it looks great on you! The white flower in your hair will look absolutely splendid."

"Do you think it matches my dress?"

"Of course, you have the same flowers on the lace. What about me, how do you think this necklace will fit?"

"You are the most beautiful bride in the world, Sincia! You'll knock Saber Rider off his feet!" said April, in admiration. Sincia's black hair was coming down on her white shoulders, making her dress look even more bright.

"We are all going to be the best brides in the Universe!" Robin showed up from another room, dressed up in a long draped white wedding gown.

"Oh, Robin, you look like a princess!" said Claudia, who was just coming from across the hallway, from her own room. "I think I will have some problems coming in and out through the doors with this dress, ha ha!" Claudia laughed, looking at her own bell-shaped dress. She was wearing her curly hair in a high updo.

"Don't worry, Claudia, you will be fine! I, on the other hand, might need some extra help carrying this long train..." Princess Marleine showed up from the end of the hallway, surrounded by lots of cute little girls, dressed up in pink lace party gowns. The Princess had learned to speak the new language quite well.

"Your Highness, you look stunning...!" all the girls exclaimed in admiration.

"You all look fantastic! Let's take more pictures!" a photographer showed up, holding a camera. "Let's all go into this larger room here! Come, follow me!"

More people entered the scene, holding cameras and taking pictures. Lots of bridesmaids, lots of friends, lots of children also: little girls, holding baskets with flowers, garlands, veils... A group of girls were carrying princess Marleine's long train. People bustling everywhere... and five brides, all ready for the biggest day of their life... This was all happening inside King Jarray's Monarch Supreme Starship.

They were flying in circles around Earth, preparing to land at a surprise location. The five grooms wanted their brides to be kept in suspense about the location of the ceremony.

"Is everyone ready?" a gentleman, dressed in a black tuxedo, entered the guest room.

"Oh yes we are... Or..., are we?" the girls started laughing...

 

* * *

"Beautiful day to have our weddings outdoors, huh?" Fireball yawned, trying to seem calm and indifferent.

"Quite so," Jesse re-positioned his bow-tie and closed his eyes. He reclined against a colorful big boulder.

"Are you excited, Jesse?" asked Fireball.

"Yeah, can't you tell?" Jesse smiled.

"I can't really tell much from your face. You've always thrown a cool stance around," Fireball replied.

"Yeah, that's why they call me Mr Blue. On the other hand, your name is pretty eloquent, also..., Fire...ball... You sure show your anger quite easily, just like a flame," Jesse glanced back at him.

"Yep, I'm hot-headed, I know that for sure!" he laughed. "But don't worry, I extinguished the old rage against you. It's _looong gone_ , bud."

"Good, because today I was concerned that I had to put on a _firefighter_ suit, instead of this tuxedo..." said Jesse, looking at Fireball with the corner of his eyes.

They both burst into laughter.

Suddenly, Prince Roland's wrist watch started beeping:

"It's the Monarch Supreme Ship. They are ready to descend. Let's give them the coordinates."

 

* * *

The five brides gathered in the pilot's cabin, looking in curiosity at the landscapes they were flying over.

"Look, that is a big canyon underneath! Just like the one at the Cavalry Command training center!" said April, with an amazed look. "Is that the place we are going?"

"Non, madame, we are going somewhere else. This is called The Grand Canyon. We are not going to land here," replied the pilot.

The ship took more altitude and sped up. The land soon disappeared and a vast ocean formed below.

"Are we going to land on an island?" Sincia was also very curious. She didn't know what kind of a surprise the boys were going to offer them.

"I heard there are some gorgeous islands in the Pacific ocean," said Robin, who documented herself in the past year about the geography of Earth.

"No, it seems like the islands were not the choice, either," sighed Claudia. They already crossed the Pacific ocean and were now hovering over Asia.

"Are we going back to Geneva...?" asked princess Marleine.

"Non, madame, that is not the place, either," replied the pilot, smiling. He knew where they were going to land, but he was not allowed to disclose that.

The ship took a large turn and started descending, in big circles.

"Robin, do you know where this is?" asked Claudia.

"From what I remember, this is supposed to be China... But it's quite a vast territory, so I don't know where they are taking us..."

Everyone was looking out the window, in curiosity.

"Ahem... mademoiselles... please follow me..." someone opened a door for the girls and invited them out of the pilot's room.

"I want to stay and watch the descent... Why are we...?" Robin complained.

"Shht, it's supposed to be a surprise, Princess Marleine giggled."

"Everyone has to buckle up during the descent," said the butler. "Please, be seated."

The girls held on to their bouquets and entered a room with beautifully decorated royal chairs. The central one was a little bit bigger, like a throne. Princess Marleine was invited to sit on it. The chairs automatically activated the seat belts. They were silk white, appropriate for the occasion. A beautiful vase with Chinese decorations and holding a bouquet of white roses was adorning the center of the room.

"I feel like this is going to be something very very unexpected," said April, taking a deep breath.

The ship slowly touched down. After a few minutes and lots of sounds of machinery, the entire room started moving.

"Oh, girls, I'm dizzy. Are they going to spin us around?" Robin asked, worriedly.

"I don't know... But I never thought I wouldn't know where my wedding was going to be, or how it's going to look like..." Claudia laughed.

Suddenly, the walls of the room started moving... The seat belts went off and the girls stood up and looked around them. The walls started retracting and the ceiling slid apart on one side. A cool breeze came upon them, and a bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds revealed itself above them. A red carpet rolled in front of them and opened the way out.

"Aaaahhh...," all the girls gasped. All around them, strong red, yellow, blue and green colors started reflecting on their white dresses. It was a landscape like never seen before. Hills colored in the RAINBOW colors! No, they were _not_ covered in flowers! Just an endless row of hills made out of rainbow-colored stones!

"This is breathtaking...!" April held her bouquet on her chest. "Earth is truly the precious stone of this galaxy!"

A ripple of applause came from around them. People were coming from behind the hills, cheering and welcoming them. They were the wedding guests: Royal family guests, Cavalry Command officers and leaders, friends, families, people from Earth... and a little robot on wheels: Doctor Hassim.

An old gentleman, dressed up in a traditional Chinese costume, advanced in front of the brides and took a bow.

"Welcome to the Rainbow Mountains of China! We used to call it the Zhangye Danxia Geopark," continued the old man. "It is an honor to have you here!"

A few royal trumpets playing regal tunes resounded across the hills.

"His Majesty, King Jarray of the Kingdom of Jarre!" a soldier saluted.

"Your Royal Highness, Princess of Liechtenstein, allow me to escort you," said King Jarray, slowly walking down the red carpet, towards her.

"April, I will have the pleasure of escorting you..." said Commander Eagle, aligning himself along his daughter.

"Claudia..." and Mario Firenza extended his arm...

"Robin..." her father proudly walked next to her...

"Sincia..." her father was also there, proud to lead her to the altar.

The red carpet was going up a small hill. On top of it, there was a big round deck with a balcony, decorated with flowers and ribbons... The long procession was opened by family members, the groomsmen, then the bridesmaids and the little girls wearing flowers. Right in front of King Jarray, five little children were carrying the rings.

As they were walking on a fanfare of royal music, the brides started seeing the balcony on top of the hill. There they were! Five tall handsome men, all dressed up in tuxedos, waiting for their loved ones.

A priest dressed up in a long cloak opened the ceremony... A choir of girls and boys, dressed up in white, was chanting around them... It was all just like in a dream.

Saber Rider looked up to the sky, while the priest commenced his service... Thoughts about the war, big mechas, Renegade units, Nemisis, Ramrod blowing hits around..., they were all succeeding in his mind, like a film. All of it was over. He turned his head and saw Sincia next to him. The film in his head stopped right then and there. A new chapter in the history of humanity was just about to begin.

 

* * *

"...I now declare you... husband and wife!" and the priest blessed each couple. "You may kiss the bride!"

"Huraaaayyy!" the people were all chanting around and clapping their hands. A squadron of jet planes flew over them and drew colorful hearts on the sky.

"Careful, pard, leave some smooching for the honeymoon!" Colt could not hold back from poking everyone around. Fireball and Claudia's long-lasting kiss was breaking the world's wedding record.

Music echoed among the rounded colorful mountains. A big decorated wedding tent in the distance was waiting for all the guests...

 

* * *

April woke up the next morning... She was in a comfortable bed, inside a space ship... She rubbed her eyes...

"Where am I?... Jesse?..." she stood up and looked around. A gorgeous mountainous view, bathed in gold-like colors, was reflecting through the window.

"Ta-daaaa!" he entered the room, with a big breakfast tray...

"Yumm, this smells delicious...Where are we, Jesse?"

"Inside a ship, called... the Badlander..."

"Badlander? I thought that was long gone, scrap pile!" April exclaimed.

"Well... Prince Roland offered to refurbish it and I didn't refuse him", he laughed.

"Is it still yellow?..." April asked in suspicion.

"Yes, like your hair, my darling."

"Is that why you made your ship yellow?" she asked in surprise.

"Of course. It reminded me of _you_ , gorgeous!" he smiled.

"Are you still going to call it "Badlander?"

"Do you want me to call it the "Goodlander?"

She puffed in amusement: "No way, it sounds too hilarious! Leave it like that, it makes me think of the bad-ass that lies within you! Hee hee! Where are we? Where did you take me for honeymoon?"

"These are the Golden Mountains of Altai, in Russia. Do you like hiking?"

"I love it!" and she hugged him. "What about skiing? Do they have snow?"

"You bet they do!"

"Yay! I love you, Jesse!" April was happy. Skiing was her second nature.

 

* * *

Claudia woke up to a very bright morning light. Up in the distance, a tall conic mountain, with a beautiful white coat on top of it, was throwing sparks of light toward her.

"Huh! Fireball, look!" she pulled the curtains.

"Yes, darling, we are at the base of mount Fuji. Do you like it?"

"Do I like it? It's splendid!"

"Wait until you see the rest of Japan..." Fireball replied, proudly.

"Take me everywhere! I want to see all of it!" she was excited.

 

* * *

"Colt, where am I?" Robin was pulling away a drapery from the ship's window.

"What?" colt Rubbed his eyes. She woke him up.

"What happened after the wedding party? I don't remember you telling me we're going to travel somewhere else!"

"But... you didn't want to stay forever among those colored boulders in China, did you?" Colt winked at her.

"So you flew somewhere else? Where are we? This looks incredible!"

"This is Texas, baby! Yeee-haaah!" and Colt jumped out of bed and embraced her. Outside, big fluffy clouds were reflecting above a lake and a rocky hill.

"It's called The Enchanted Rock," said Colt. "I'll take you around it. Then we'll go see some beautiful waterfalls and canyons."

"Oh, Colt, you're the best!"

 

* * *

"Huh? Was ist das?" Princess Marleine lifted her head up from the pillow. Prince Roland was still asleep. She slowly rose up from bed and looked around... A strange flickering light was coming from out the window. "So this is what woke me up..." she thought to herself. It was the light playing on the surface of a lake... A tall mountain with lots of snow and crevices was overlooking it...

"We are up in the Canadian Rockies..." said the Prince, slowly waking up from bed.

"This looks splendid! I spent a few vacations with my family up here in Canada, when I was a kid. Oh, I have so many dear memories from here! Let's go around the lake!"

"Your wish is my command, my Princess!"

 

* * *

"What? Are we someplace else today?" Sincia asked herself, peeking through the crack of the window blinders.

"Here, let's open them up!" Saber Rider pushed a button and flipped the blinders open. "Ha haaa, surprise!" and he hugged her.

"Where are we?"

"We are on Shetland Islands, in Scotland," said Saber Rider, proudly.

He parked the ship close to a tall cliff, overlooking a long beach and the ocean.

"Oh, I can't wait to take a bath in the ocean! Let's fly there, Saber Rider!"

"Fly? We can walk... There's a trail..."

"But you have a jet-pack... And a flying horse... You know how much I like it when you fly me up... into the sky!" she giggled.

 

* * *

"So... chums... I hope I didn't miss anything from my story..." Saber Rider cleared his voice and closed a holographic video. He was sitting down inside a gazebo, facing a forest and a Highland castle. Around him, lots of kids were listening, latched on to his story.

"Wow, what a great story! You are a true hero, Saber Rider!" a boy stood up and raised his hand in triumph.

"Mom, Saber Rider is going to take us for a ride on Steed today!" a girl waved at her mother in the distance.

"Yaaay!" all the children jumped out of the gazebo and ran toward the mechanical horse.

 

* * *

-The End-

* * *

 

Oh, wait, Jesse Blue wants to say something:

"Hold it right there, dear reader! I have a surprise for you! Click on to the next chapter, called _Epilogue._ "

Wink-wink!

 

Save


	15. Epilogue

**Author's Notes**

 

Thank you all for reading my story! If you opened this final chapter, but have not finished reading the whole story... _spoiler alert_! Close this and return to your bookmark.  
  
I am grateful to all my dedicated readers! I know that you have waited patiently for weeks and weeks in a row, until I came up with new episodes... Please send your reviews and opinions, I would love to hear your thoughts!  
  
I know I still have some typos and grammar inaccuracies. I tried to correct as many as I could find, please be patient with me!  
  
I also have some artwork posted under ArtsyJesseBlue on Deviantart. I am still working on those and will probably work on them for a while. Painting and drawing takes so much more time.  
  
I can't deny my affection for the Jesse-April pair. The Saber Rider original series started on a strong note: the first episodes featured Jesse Blue and his crush on April. From that point on, it was impossible for me to pair April with anyone else other than Jesse. No matter what other boys were presented around her, she was, in my mind, predestined to be with Jesse. I watched these episodes as a kid and I always remained loyal to my opinion that she does love him, after all. To my surprise, some of my best friends back then were supporting my opinion too. We ended up forming a sort of a silent Jesse Blue fan group, that extended into our adulthood.  
  
The idea of Jesse being infected with a rogue Outrider virus came out of my own medical background. Yes, there are certain infections that can change your brain functions and alter your judgement...  
  
Plus, the virus that turned Jesse almost into an Outrider would also better explain how he survived the big explosion at the end of episode 52 of the original series. Otherwise, how would a human be able to make it back to the Outrider dimension, as Commander Eagle suggested in the last minute of the episode?   
  
The rest of the story was just a natural flow of imagination from there on. Honestly, I didn't plan or structure the whole story, from beginning to end. I just started it, and let my ideas emerge, as I wrote along. My main worry was that I might stumble into my own plots and not be able to disentangle. If you find any mistakes and inaccuracies, please let me know!  
  
I tried to tie all the loose ends, during and towards the end of the story. I added a few new characters, to better support the narrative. I thought April needed to have a talk with Fireball, after their breakup, and I found a good spot to insert it, at the end.  
  
Jesse also needed to make peace with all his foes. All along the episodes, I watched him transition from a 100% villain, into a "normal" Jesse, as he was supposed to be. I tried to build up a tension between him and April, a tension that culminates with their first kiss. I tried to keep his personality intact, but spinning it into a positive direction. He is still a cool guy, mysterious, charming and a little sarcastic, from time to time. And a wicked good karate fighter!  
  
The relationships between Jesse and Colt, and Jesse and Fireball were also gradual. At some point, I exaggerated a little bit the hot-headed personalities of Colt and Fireball, just to keep up the tension between them and Jesse.  
  
Finding Captain Hikari, Fireball's father, was one of my favorite story features and I liked using it as a leverage for Jesse's own escape from the Outrider dimension. Later on, trading Hikari with April seemed like the obvious thing to do. I wanted to complete another piece of the puzzle: Fireball's missing father. Similarly, Colt and Jesse found their parents. I wanted to bring an optimistic outlook to the story.  
  
Prince Roland is an interesting character, and I think he had a lot of loose ends that needed some fixing. He deserved a royal treatment, after all. Right?   
  
The idea of discovering Earth, placing it in a space and time relative to the whole story, came while I was writing. I never even thought I would come to this length with my story, but I really enjoyed adding this part. I think it made even more sense in casting light on the origins of Outriders and Humans, as described by old Erkanos (or Arkanos) in one of the original episodes.  
  
As you remember, the original series starts with Saber Rider somewhere either inside a castle or out in a gazebo, recounting the story of the Star Sheriffs. From time to time, during the episodes, they bring back that scene, reminding everyone that Saber Rider is the story-teller. I ended my fanfic in the same manner: he is surrounded by a lot of children (Who's children might they be...? We only wonder...) and they are all listening to him with keen attention.  
  
I kept the story in the same realm as the original one: a story with a morale about fighting the evil, making and keeping peace, friendship, love. The anime series was addressed to children and teenagers, so I tried to write it in the same spirit in which I watched it back in the days. A spirit in which... well... simply making April and Jesse, or Saber Rider and Sincia have an eye contact would stir up a little butterfly tornado in that little kid, watching the cartoon show.  
  
I have no personal attachments to any of the Earth sites described in my story. As a matter of fact, my hometown and my current address are nowhere near any of the aforementioned places. I purely enjoyed roaming around the globe, finding beautiful, interesting sites. Earth is truly a jewel in the Universe.  
  
Likewise, I have no affiliation to CERN, MIT, NASA or any other institution I might have mentioned here. I just found them to be the most progressive places on Earth that I could think of, and which would be closer to the spirit of science-fiction.  
  
I'm sorry if some of you might be disappointed about what destiny I decided to spin Earth into. I never thought of such a dramatic story line, but in the context of telling the history of some lost space travelers, namely the Outriders and the Humans of the New Frontier, it only made sense to me that they were fugitives from a corrupted world. In a way, it also draws a major exclamation point about things that could happen, IF humanity went the wrong path.  
  
I do not own SRATSS, it is the property of WEP and Studio Pierrot. I only enjoyed writing a possible follow-up story for some fanatic kids within us.  
  
Both my story and my visual artwork related to Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs are non-profit and do not attempt to substitute for the original work. I do not sell any of these creations.<br />  
Under the copyright fair use act, none of these aforementioned works can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system.  
  
Again, thanks for reading my story! Don't forget to write a review, please!  
  
"Head'em up, mov'em out! Power stride and ready to ride!"

 

* * *

 

**Wait, What?...**

" _Richard, slow down, I'm coming!" a blue-haired little girl cried out, panting and running up a green hill._

" _Sabrina, hurry up, my dad is coming home soon. He mustn't know we went so far away from home," a blonde boy was waving at her._

" _Aaargh!" Sabrina screamed in panic._

" _What? What's wrong?" Richard stopped._

" _A huge spider on my dress! Yuck, get it off of me, please Richard, I'm scared!" she yelled._

_The boy rushed down the hill, anxious to help her out quickly. But he stumbled and came down rolling like a ball, wiping everything in his way._

" _Aaaaahh!" Sabrina started shouting even louder, as Richard stormed into her and they both rolled down the hill. They stopped at the bottom of the hill, next to the roots of an old tall tree._

" _Eeeewww!" Sabrina moaned. Then she twitched in fear: "Where's the spider? The spider, did it go away?"_

" _I think the spider got too dizzy and decided to leave," Richard laughed._

" _Don't be silly, it might still be on my dress... What if it went underneath...? Ugh..." Sabrina stood up and started sobbing and wiping her red dress in nervousness._

" _Let me see, turn around..." Richard started looking at her dress carefully. "Not on your back... He leaned down to look at her legs..."_

" _Stop it, don't touch my legs, I'm ticklish!" she giggled._

" _I found it, I found the spider... Stay still..."_

" _Aaaaaahhh!" she screamed in panic. "Whe... where is it?"_

" _Under your lace, hold still...Got it! Look, it's a grass spider, it's not dangerous!" and he opened his palm in front of her face._

" _Eew, get it out of my sight!" she screamed in horror. She took a step back and stumbled on a root. "Whoow..." she moaned while she tried to keep her balance. One of her hands clutched his shirt during her fall and he went face down over her. The poor spider flew out of his hand and disappeared up on the tree's bark._

" _Ummm..." he looked at her and held his breath. She was blinking in a perplexed look. Then she closed_ _her eyes and let him... kiss her._

_Meanwhile, Saber Rider and Sincia were riding Steed around their domain, showing April and Jesse the surroundings._

" _Aaaaargh!" a girl's voice echoed across the hills._

" _That's Sabrina!" April recognized her daughter's voice right away. "Quickly, Jesse, turn Nova around!"_

" _Woo_ _w!" another scream came from behind the hill._

_After a minute...:_

" _What on Earth are you kids doing here?" four parents showed up from behind the big tree._

" _Wait, what?..." Saber Rider made a dumbstruck face. Yes, his son was on top of April's daughter, kissing her..._

_Richard and Sabrina winced in surprise._

" _Dad, what are you doing here?"_

" _What are YOU doing here?" Saber Rider turned the table._

" _He... rescued me from a big spider!" Sabrina tried to save the appearances._

" _Oh, I see... A big spider..." Jesse winked at Saber Rider. "If you were not so far from the castle, you wouldn't get spiders on you!"_

" _Sorry, dad..." Sabrina blushed and looked down._

" _Come, let's go home, climb up on Steed!" Saber Rider descended the horse and put both kids up on the saddle. April was rolling her eyes in a dazed amusement._

 


End file.
